halting 1 of 4

adjective

Definition of haltingnext
as in faltering

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halting

2 of 4

noun

as in stopping

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halting

3 of 4

verb (1)

present participle of halt
1
as in stalling
to bring (something) to a standstill traffic was halted by the parade

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2
as in ceasing
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 ending
to come to an end all filming halted when the star of the movie quit in a huff

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halting

4 of 4

verb (2)

present participle of halt
1
as in limping
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 hesitating
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of halting
Adjective
His note arrived after years of halting development, from an actor Greengrass knew only casually. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 11 Sep. 2026 But when, 30 minutes in, the discussion turns to the man who had more impact on Wasim’s cricketing career than any other, the answers become more hushed and halting. — James Wallace, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
With commercial truck builds that are bigger than average cars, difficulty halting, and limited maneuvering, these factors can make traversing construction zones riskier for commercial truck drivers. — Wyles Daniel, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2026 Aerial footage released by the agency shows a vessel halting shortly after getting struck by the weapon. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
Urgent issues for Kyiv are halting devastating Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid and ensuring Ukrainian grain can be shipped to world markets through the Black Sea despite the war. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 Even the World Organization for Animal Health, whose guidelines the CFIA follows, is reconsidering how effective culls are in halting bird-flu outbreaks in a world where the next wild duck to land at a farm could trigger another one. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for halting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for halting
  1. faltering
  2. stopping
  3. stalling
  4. ceasing
  5. ending
  6. limping
  7. hesitating
  8. uncertain
Adjective
  • This time, after being four outs from stealing Game 1 before faltering, then pulling off an epic Game 2 win, the Phillies reverted to their worst selves in Game 3.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Today, the mechanisms that contained the initial energy shock are faltering.
    — RICHARD HAASS, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of faltering
Noun
  • But the show already had a natural stopping point coming up that would be appropriate, storytelling-wise.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • For many, the facility is a brief stopping point, a revolving door before they’re moved to another facility or readied for a flight out of the country.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of stopping
Verb
  • The memoir also details Cooper’s crippling, career-stalling struggles with substance abuse during the late ‘70s and goes into depth about his subsequent re-embrace of Christianity and his current beliefs and practices.
    — Gary Graff, Billboard, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Tropical disturbance in the Gulf Coast Rain is expected to continue in central Florida, where a stalling frontal system is now draped.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of stalling
Verb
  • Calvin lives in Snook’s Arm, a community on the verge of ceasing to exist.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Scanlon told me Friday afternoon that Pattis will try to enjoin him from ceasing the payments.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of ceasing
Verb
  • The Justice Department has sued California and other states over their trans-inclusive sports policies, and successfully threatened large hospitals into ending gender-affirming care programs.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • All the Washington Commanders needed to do was spike the ball and kick a game-ending field goal in overtime.
    — Jake Kauderer, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of ending
Verb
  • Young came up limping after getting sacked by Mason Graham on a fourth-and-3 play in the second quarter.
    — Joseph Person, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The couple soon realized Apex had a bandage on his left shoulder and was still limping.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of limping
Verb
  • But experts have worried that doctors are hesitating to offer treatment without an ironclad diagnosis, which clinicians say can take time and increase risks to the mother.
    — Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Fertilizer is often bought months ahead of planting, so hesitating in the fall can mean less goes on the ground in the spring.
    — Jayash Paudel, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hesitating
Adjective
  • Exactly how far south the aurora might appear remains uncertain and depends on how the incoming CMEs interact with Earth's magnetic field.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • While companies often look to make supply-chain adjustments in the face of tariffs, that really hasn’t happened because the trade landscape is too uncertain to make long-term adjustments.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of uncertain

Browse Nearby Words

halters
halting
haltingly
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Cite this Entry

“Halting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/halting. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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