work stoppage

noun

: concerted cessation of work by a group of employees usually more spontaneous and less serious than a strike

Examples of work stoppage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The developer of Empire Wind says their project faces likely termination if the federal work stoppage continues past next week. —Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026

While there have been close calls in the past—in 2003, then-NBA commissioner David Stern threatened to cancel the W’s season during a labor dispute—the W hasn’t lost games to a work stoppage in its 30-year history. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 9 Jan. 2026

However, the passing of the deadline does not mean an immediate work stoppage. —Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026

Major League Baseball is hurtling toward a work stoppage next offseason, and everyone is painfully aware of it. —Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

work stoppage

noun

: a cessation of work by employees as a job action

Note: Work stoppage is often used to refer to a cessation of work that is less serious and more spontaneous than one referred to as a strike. As used in the Labor Management Relations Act strike refers to “any…concerted stoppage of work by employees…and any concerted slowdown or other concerted interruption of operations by employees.”