as in hesitates
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
he paused for a moment to regain his composure
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lulls
a momentary halt in an activity
there was a brief pause for applause in her speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of pauses
Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
The ruling effectively pauses the vaccine committee’s work.
—Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Not-so-great vibes —Kraken pauses IPO plans.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Mohammad Aziz, the head of Lebanon’s Civil Aviation Authority, said that Israel’s air force usually pauses its bombing when a passenger plane is approaching.
—Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
Her order pauses the plan while the case is heard.
—CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
True to the spirit of those Russian women, the world pauses on this day to celebrate the achievements of women.
—Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 8 Mar. 2026
Transferring your balance to a card that temporarily pauses interest allows more of your payment to go toward the principal instead of financing charges.
—Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
Gusty winds carry pollen far and wide, while a late-season frost pauses tree growth and temporarily slows pollen production.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
Rosie Conroy, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
Still in effect are various other pauses on legal migration – including a pause on the issuing of immigrant visas for 75 countries, and a pause on all immigration applications from countries covered by the travel ban.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026
Billy Randolph had shaped them and how his death had altered their lives, responses came after long pauses and were choked with grief.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated March 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
Business major Andrea Liu found the chatbot’s voice to be surprisingly human, but the conversation felt choppy with odd pauses.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
Bakri litters these lines with pauses and sighs, a simmer rather than an explosion.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Medicaid currently does pre-reviews of payments for non-emergency medical transportation because of fraud in that field, and the pauses for review are typically less than three months, Flores-Brennan said.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
Jeff says that discipline in placement is key to scaling for businesses, as strategic spots at natural pauses yield sustainable results, while hiding or oversaturating them breeds blindness.
—Matthew Kayser, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
People with sleep apnea experience apneas, breathing pauses lasting at least 10 seconds.
—Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
The track treads with a cautious cadence through its first verse and refrain, then pauses.
—Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
The ruling effectively pauses the vaccine committee’s work.
—Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Not-so-great vibes —Kraken pauses IPO plans.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Mohammad Aziz, the head of Lebanon’s Civil Aviation Authority, said that Israel’s air force usually pauses its bombing when a passenger plane is approaching.
—Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
Her order pauses the plan while the case is heard.
—CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
True to the spirit of those Russian women, the world pauses on this day to celebrate the achievements of women.
—Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 8 Mar. 2026
Transferring your balance to a card that temporarily pauses interest allows more of your payment to go toward the principal instead of financing charges.
—Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
Gusty winds carry pollen far and wide, while a late-season frost pauses tree growth and temporarily slows pollen production.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
Places such as Anstruther and Crail provide natural pauses, with the former offering one of Scotland’s most beautiful tidal pools, offering everything from fresh seafood to small galleries and historic streets to explore.
—Rosie Conroy, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
Still in effect are various other pauses on legal migration – including a pause on the issuing of immigrant visas for 75 countries, and a pause on all immigration applications from countries covered by the travel ban.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026
Billy Randolph had shaped them and how his death had altered their lives, responses came after long pauses and were choked with grief.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated March 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
Business major Andrea Liu found the chatbot’s voice to be surprisingly human, but the conversation felt choppy with odd pauses.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
Bakri litters these lines with pauses and sighs, a simmer rather than an explosion.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Medicaid currently does pre-reviews of payments for non-emergency medical transportation because of fraud in that field, and the pauses for review are typically less than three months, Flores-Brennan said.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
Jeff says that discipline in placement is key to scaling for businesses, as strategic spots at natural pauses yield sustainable results, while hiding or oversaturating them breeds blindness.
—Matthew Kayser, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
People with sleep apnea experience apneas, breathing pauses lasting at least 10 seconds.
—Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pauses
Verb
-
Though Pollan hesitates to claim that a fundamental aspect of human capability and human experience remains beyond science’s reach, A World Appears closely maps out such a territory.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
11 Mar. 2026
-
If a planner hesitates or hedges on this question, consider that a red flag.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Referring to the decline in permits approved, ECMC Director Julie Murphy said there were lulls as everyone adjusted course.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Acting in a movie involves a lot of waiting around, too—as the crew repositions cameras and adjusts the lighting, among other things—and those lulls provided me with plenty of time to feel queasy with anxiety.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Texas fans may have held their collective breaths when senior guard Rori Harmon appeared to hurt her right hand midway through the first quarter.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The American Red Cross recommends a rate of 100 to 120 chest compressions per minute, given 30 at a time with two breaths in between.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Set boundaries around interruptions and keep promises practical.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Last week, Orbán, who is widely seen as the Kremlin’s biggest advocate in the EU, blocked a 90-billion euro ($106 billion) EU loan to Ukraine over the interruptions and vowed to veto any further pro-Ukraine decisions until oil flows resume.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Jeep driver slammed on the breaks and reversed, crashing into the front of Acosta’s patrol car and sped off, leaving the gate pieces on the road.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
During one of the day’s breaks, Tappin won a gift bag, including a flat iron, after answering a question correctly.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pauses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pauses. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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