traffic stop
noun
plural traffic stops
: an instance of police stopping a driver (as for speeding or a broken taillight)
She was pulled over for a routine traffic stop.
an officer making a traffic stop
Examples of traffic stop in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Deadly traffic stop shooting The shooting happened in Queens on March 25, 2024.
—
Katie Houlis, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
The shooting stemmed from an April 24, 2020, traffic stop when Womble fired a gun at Officer Erica Socarras on the corner of Northwest 22nd Avenue and 54th Street in Brownsville.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
An officer saw a truck that matched the mother’s description and initiated a traffic stop, police said.
—Liz Teitz, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Apr. 2026
The inventory reviewed by The Times shows personnel files for LAPD officers who were accused of using excessive force against a Black military veteran during a traffic stop in 2021.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for traffic stop
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Katie Houlis, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
The shooting stemmed from an April 24, 2020, traffic stop when Womble fired a gun at Officer Erica Socarras on the corner of Northwest 22nd Avenue and 54th Street in Brownsville.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
An officer saw a truck that matched the mother’s description and initiated a traffic stop, police said.
—Liz Teitz, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Apr. 2026
The inventory reviewed by The Times shows personnel files for LAPD officers who were accused of using excessive force against a Black military veteran during a traffic stop in 2021.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for traffic stop
Cite this Entry
“Traffic stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic%20stop. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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