1
as in to stop
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was halted by the parade
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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as in paralyzed
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of halt
Ganesh Rao,chloe Taylor,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025
The administration’s moves will also halt a first-of-its-kind study of the causes of thousands of firefighters’ cancer cases and disrupt a program that provides health care to emergency personnel who responded to the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 21 Apr. 2025
Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2025
All of this came to a halt when health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed sweeping layoffs to the Department of Health and Human Services this month.
—Will Stone, NPR, 21 Apr. 2025
Natnicha Chuwiruch, Bloomberg.com, 9 Oct. 2020
In addition to full-time jobs for recent graduates, many spring and summer internships came to a halt mid-program or were canceled before the summer began due to the pandemic.
—Kaitlin Edquist, chicagotribune.com, 4 Aug. 2020
See All Example Sentences for halt
Verb
The Trump administration last week ordered to halt construction activity on Equinor’s Empire Wind offshore wind project off New York after the company had secured permits and approvals.
—Ganesh Rao,chloe Taylor,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025
The administration’s moves will also halt a first-of-its-kind study of the causes of thousands of firefighters’ cancer cases and disrupt a program that provides health care to emergency personnel who responded to the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
Harvard's complaint against the Trump administration also claims the halt in federal funding will impede critical scientific and medical research as well as diminish economic innovation.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2025
All of this came to a halt when health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed sweeping layoffs to the Department of Health and Human Services this month.
—Will Stone, NPR, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Minor posted its biggest quarterly loss in the three months ended June and has cut thousands of jobs to stay afloat after the pandemic ground to a halt global travel and tourism.
—Natnicha Chuwiruch, Bloomberg.com, 9 Oct. 2020
In addition to full-time jobs for recent graduates, many spring and summer internships came to a halt mid-program or were canceled before the summer began due to the pandemic.
—Kaitlin Edquist, chicagotribune.com, 4 Aug. 2020
See All Example Sentences for halt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for halt
Noun
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For more than an hour on Saturday, Maresca’s team did not allow Everton to fight them to a standstill and, helped greatly by the return of Romeo Lavia, passed forward quickly whenever a chance to do so presented itself.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 🎧 Goods from China face tariffs of 145%, bringing trade between the world's two largest economies to a standstill, NPR's Scott Horsley tells Up First.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Most of these disruptions begin to normalize soon after alcohol cessation.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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More severe complications can include apnea (the sudden, temporary cessation of breathing), pneumonia, rib fractures from severe coughing, and even death.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Before the polio vaccine was introduced in 1955, tens of thousands of children were catching the disease every year; thousands of them died, and more were left paralyzed.—
Bruce Handy,
The Atlantic,
16 Apr. 2025
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Because tariffs are a type of taxation, Mr. Trump’s plan is among the largest tax increases in decades, analysts say, a policy change that sent the stock market reeling, paralyzed corporate investment and shoved the economy closer to a recession.—
Andrew Duehren,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The new Ramona Grange Growers Exchange at 215 Seventh St. attracted eight vendors who sold produce, sourdough bread, homemade jams, honey and other assorted items.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
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Finish and Store Transfer jam to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator up to 1 month.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Weak Hero Class 2’s ending: Si-Eun’s master plan Ryeo Un as Park Hu-min, Lee Min-jae as Go Hyuntak Darae Lee/Netflix Weak Hero Class 2 builds to a massive showdown between the members of the Union and the Eunjang student body.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025
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Sadly, by the time the ending — easy, predictable, full of hope — rolls around, the story is already fading from memory.—
Gabino Iglesias,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Noun
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The deadlock spares Nichols, again, from a death sentence.—
Todd Pendleton,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Davison broke that deadlock with a tough driving layup.—
Zack Cox,
Hartford Courant,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Jopling is a hitman with skull rings and a sadistic streak who does all sorts of dirty work, including engaging in some light decapitation and throwing a cat out the window before meeting an amusing end off a snowy cliff.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2025
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Wilson said Purdue defensive end Jireh Ojata was invited to rookie minicamp.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Halt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/halt. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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