Synonyms of halts

halts 1 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of halt

1

as in stops

to bring (something) to a standstill

traffic was halted by the parade

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stops
• stalls
• catches
• arrests
• blocks
• hinders
• stays
• checks
• suspends
• impedes
• obstructs
• holds
• ends
• pulls up
• brings up
• terminates
• stills
• concludes
• draws up
• detains
• stems
• balks
• holds up
• suppresses
• snags
• fetches up
• clogs
• discontinues
• baffles
• holds back
• calls
• blockades
• cuts off
• dams
• represses
• bottlenecks
• turns back
• reins (in)
• squashes
• squelches
• stunts
• chokes off
• stanches

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continues
• persists
• keeps (on)
• moves
• progresses
• proceeds
• advances
• follows through (with)
• carries on
• runs on
• marches
• keeps up
• fares
• pushes
• propels
• goes along
• drives
• spurs
• stirs
• impels
• wends
• actuates
• goads
• budges

2

as in ceases

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stops
• ceases
• ends
• quits
• suspends
• drops
• delays
• discontinues
• concludes
• breaks
• finishes
• packs (up or in)
• completes
• cuts off
• has done with
• shuts off
• breaks off
• leaves off
• cuts out
• lays off
• desists (from)
• gives over
• checks
• knocks off
• breaks up
• pauses
• blocks
• hinders
• obstructs
• impedes
• suppresses
• cans
• deactivates
• aborts
• closes (down)
• puts the kibosh on
• holds
• detains
• stays
• destroys
• abolishes
• stems
• ruins
• scuttles
• calls
• arrests
• squelches
• dissolves
• brakes
• kills
• demolishes
• stamps
• holds back
• turns back
• squashes
• annuls
• reins (in)
• clamps down
• blockades
• dams
• snuffs
• stunts
• kiboshes
• stanches

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continues
• progresses
• proceeds
• advances
• carries on
• runs on
• drives
• follows through (with)
• stirs
• keeps up
• impels
• propels
• actuates

3

as in ends

to come to an end

all filming halted when the star of the movie quit in a huff

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stops
• ceases
• ends
• expires
• concludes
• terminates
• passes
• closes
• dies
• finishes
• goes
• determines
• discontinues
• elapses
• lapses
• stalls
• quits
• winds up
• breaks off
• leaves off
• winks (out)
• breaks up
• suspends
• lets up
• pauses
• dead-ends
• bites the dust
• stays
• packs (up or in)
• refrains (from)
• abates
• breaks down
• cuts out
• desists (from)
• gives over
• lays off (of)
• knocks off
• winds down
• conks (out)
• peters (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continues
• persists
• hangs on
• extends
• prolongs
• draws out
• protracts

halts

2 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of halt

1

as in limps

to walk while favoring one leg

even with her twisted ankle, she managed to halt along and complete her Walk for Peace

Synonyms & Similar Words

• limps
• hobbles
• shuffles
• stumbles
• falters
• staggers
• lurches
• wavers
• totters
• flounders
• hitches
• teeters
• wobbles
• blunders
• shambles
• dodders

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strides
• glides
• sails
• breezes

2

as in hesitates

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hesitates
• falters
• waits
• staggers
• wavers
• vacillates
• dithers
• pauses
• teeters
• balances
• debates
• hangs back
• lingers
• wobbles
• scruples
• sways
• ponders
• delays
• dawdles
• procrastinates
• deliberates
• shilly-shallies
• weighs
• chickens (out)
• haws
• backs down
• considers
• oscillates
• hems
• dallies
• equivocates
• hedges
• waffles
• pussyfoots

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decides
• plunges (in)
• continues
• dives (in)
• stirs
• advances
• budges

halts

3 of 3

noun

plural of halt

1

as in jams

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• jams
• deadlocks
• standstills
• binds
• predicaments
• impasses
• gridlocks
• dilemmas
• stalemates
• logjams
• problems
• standoffs
• pickles
• holes
• bottlenecks
• Mexican standoffs
• fixes
• dead ends
• pinches
• plights
• corners
• difficulties
• morasses
• spots
• quagmires
• quandaries

2

as in cessations

the stopping of a process or activity

gardening came to a halt during the week of solid rain

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cessations
• endings
• ends
• closes
• stops
• ceases
• closures
• conclusions
• shutdowns
• finishes
• stays
• stoppages
• arrests
• discontinuances
• terminations
• offsets
• pauses
• lapses
• shutoffs
• discontinuations
• expirations
• cutoffs
• checks
• closedowns
• surceases
• arrestments
• interruptions
• suspensions
• phaseouts
• breaks
• standstills
• moratoriums
• layoffs
• mop-ups
• abeyances
• letups

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continuations
• continuances
• extensions
• prolongations
• persistences

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of halts

Verb

If shipping through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea halts, the world could face more economic pain. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 24 July 2026

The robot immediately responds to the interruption and halts the operation, illustrating Unitree’s focus on continuous human-robot interaction and dynamic task adaptation. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026

The temporary restraining order halts the $110 billion deal for two weeks. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 20 July 2026

The temporary restraining order, granted Monday after the judge heard arguments from both sides last week, halts the merger while the court considers a ruling on a preliminary injunction. — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 20 July 2026

Kansas Appleseed, Loud Light and the Disability Rights Center of Kansas sued over the repeal of the grace period and Douglas County District Court Judge Carl Folsom granted an injunction that halts the new law and restores the grace period. — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026

That halts a case, as any appeal requires copies of every previous response and filing. — Christie Thompson, NPR, 13 July 2026

But the publishing machine never quite halts, and the coming months do star a (smaller) collection of exciting new releases. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 25 June 2026

This single point of failure was enough to trigger delays, halts and, in some cases, outright business failures. — Justin Hertzberg, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Noun

The automatic stay halts proceedings but doesn't compel creditors to undo pre-petition filings without operative effect. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

Since prolonged production halts can cause permanent damage to oil wells, shutting them down is typically a last resort. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 June 2026

In practice the printer ran for about 3 months (including setup and halts), whereas a traditional cast bridge might have taken 3–4 times longer. — Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 May 2026

Former leaders warn that the loss of institutional knowledge, combined with halts to the incoming pipeline of public health workers, may lead to a long-term crisis. — Pien Huang, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026

Automotive industry analysts are forecasting that another microchip shortage could hit in the coming months, which could increase risks for production halts as costs skyrocket. — Breana Noble, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026

Nerves of an energy crisis intensified over the weekend as oil producers in the Gulf announced further halts to production, with Bahrain’s national oil company declaring force majeure. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026

The abrupt disruption resulted in chip shortages and production halts at several automakers. — Sarah Jacob, Bloomberg, 14 Jan. 2026

Conflict in Yemen has prompted air traffic halts — leaving about 600 tourists stranded on a remote island. — Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026