1
as in to stop
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was halted by the parade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cease
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the private eye abruptly halted his surveillance of the building upon being spotted by his subject
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3
as in to end
to come to an end
all filming halted when the star of the movie quit in a huff
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1
as in to limp
to walk while favoring one leg
even with her twisted ankle, she managed to halt along and complete her Walk for Peace
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2
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
she was often confused, halting between the responsibilities of her job and the demands of her home life
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1
as in standstill
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
negotiations are at a halt, with neither management nor the union budging on the issue of salary limits
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2
as in cessation
the stopping of a process or activity
gardening came to a halt during the week of solid rain
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of halt
Rachel Scott, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
In retaliation, Pakistan has closed borders, halted trade and expelled millions of Afghans over the past year.
—Fazelminallah Qazizai, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026
Also, an attack on Iraq’s Basra port killed at least one person and forced a halt to operations at all the country’s oil terminals.
—ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for halt
Verb
The former Alabama Supreme Court justice who wrote the controversial ruling that temporarily halted in vitro fertilization services two years ago is running for state attorney general -- and a group of conservative IVF parents is banding together to try to stop him.
—Rachel Scott, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
In retaliation, Pakistan has closed borders, halted trade and expelled millions of Afghans over the past year.
—Fazelminallah Qazizai, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026
Noun
And so, in addition to the challenge of the Palestinians, this has led to an abrupt halt in talking about normalization, at least for now.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026
Also, an attack on Iraq’s Basra port killed at least one person and forced a halt to operations at all the country’s oil terminals.
—ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for halt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for halt
Noun
-
Talks between the two sides slowed to a standstill before the start of the season.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of all global oil passes, has been brought to a near standstill since the war began.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Everyone in the study also underwent cognitive behavioral therapy for smoking cessation over the course of 13 weeks.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
10 Mar. 2026
-
In effect, the strait has turned into a parking lot, with an almost complete cessation of ships going through, experts and marine traffic monitoring services say.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
My Proustian madeleine is a sandwich comprised of walnut butter, cream cheese, and Medjool date jam slathered on thick slices of black bread.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Prepared horseradish, onion jam, and Dijon mustard add a flavorful zing to your classic roast beef sandwich.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
However the film lands a poignant and lyrical ending that sends the audience out on a note of hope.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
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Beginning early Saturday morning and ending, hopefully, before midnight, Anderson was walking a 50-mile circuit of his own design through the entire city of San Francisco.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Fraser Minten, who had hit a post in the first period, clanged the crossbar on a redirect just as a power play had expired and the sides went into the third in a 0-0 deadlock.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
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Now in its fourth week, the impasse has left the Department of Homeland Security operating without a budget due to a congressional deadlock between Democrats and Republicans.—
Chase Jordan
March 9,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Further on the tech front, OpenAI is focusing employee and investor attention on its enterprise business as the artificial intelligence startup gears up to go public, potentially by the end of the year, CNBC has learned.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The department released more than 100,000 pages of material by that deadline but did not release the majority of its files until the end of January.—
MAEGAN VAZQUEZ THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Terrified teens are expected to explain their predicament to the court and risk dire punishment at home.—
Fraidy Reiss,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
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As the ballerinas hatch a plan to come out of their predicament alive, bodies begin to drop dead.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As Academy Award winners soak in the glow of their golden statues, party guests nurse hangovers, and the industry starts predicting what will be next year’s biggest films, the 2026 Oscars ceremony has come to a close.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
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The additional soft-close drawer is ideal for stashing shoes, linens, or any miscellaneous last-minute items before guests come over.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Halt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/halt. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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