1
as in stops
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was halted by the parade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of halts
Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 6 Mar. 2026
The moratorium halts approvals for sewer capacity allocation for new developments within the Baltimore City Sewer Service Area (SSA), according to the department.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
This is music that halts the scroll and actively demands your attention.
—Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026
Mecklenburg District Attorney Spencer Merriweather and defense attorneys agreed, in separate interviews with The Charlotte Observer, that the strategy halts cases and could jeopardize justice.
—Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
The measure halts new admissions in rooms that already have two people; those already living in a room with three or four beds will not be forced to move.
—Jenna Carlesso, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
Stanton demonstrates his battery by shorting the coils, which halts the pendulum due to the magnetic field’s braking effect.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Should any of these conditions not be met, the contract halts and notifies all relevant parties.
—Matthew Kayser, Idaho Statesman, 20 Jan. 2026
The latest order halts the use of a weapon, recognizable by its neon green handle, that has been used by police during recent protests to clear crowds after demonstrations were declared unlawful.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
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
The fact that any soliloquy halts dramatic action also poses a challenge.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 15 Dec. 2025
Verb
The United States could suspend transfers of those funds unless Baghdad halts the financing of the PMF.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 6 Mar. 2026
The moratorium halts approvals for sewer capacity allocation for new developments within the Baltimore City Sewer Service Area (SSA), according to the department.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
This is music that halts the scroll and actively demands your attention.
—Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026
Mecklenburg District Attorney Spencer Merriweather and defense attorneys agreed, in separate interviews with The Charlotte Observer, that the strategy halts cases and could jeopardize justice.
—Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
The measure halts new admissions in rooms that already have two people; those already living in a room with three or four beds will not be forced to move.
—Jenna Carlesso, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
Stanton demonstrates his battery by shorting the coils, which halts the pendulum due to the magnetic field’s braking effect.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Should any of these conditions not be met, the contract halts and notifies all relevant parties.
—Matthew Kayser, Idaho Statesman, 20 Jan. 2026
The latest order halts the use of a weapon, recognizable by its neon green handle, that has been used by police during recent protests to clear crowds after demonstrations were declared unlawful.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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
The fact that any soliloquy halts dramatic action also poses a challenge.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for halts
Noun
-
The brand, which sells jams and other products, will continue without Netflix.—
Ellie Austin,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Fill them with your favorite fresh spring jams or preserves, like strawberry or rhubarb.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Temporary cessations of hostility, but no permanent closing of the moral and social divide between debtor and creditor, and no giving up on the thought that some lives matter more than others.—
Henry Freedland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Having killed Downey, Amos cuts one of his deadlocks and puts it in Axel’s little red book.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
3 Dec. 2025
-
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for reform of the Security Council's permanent members in his annual statement on the anniversary of the United Nations charter, arguing that the current establishment excludes key global voices and suffers from too many deadlocks.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
So many festival films have bleak endings, but this was so well done.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Worsley argues that Austen’s perfunctory treatment of her romantic endings hint that the men themselves, no matter how charming, are insufficient to guarantee marital bliss.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Also like its forerunner, HBO’s latest ends each episode at a moment of peak tension.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
After that, the composer turned his attention to a big band pet project, making ends meet with leftover work scoring German TV shows.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There’s a lot of deus ex machina resolution of tight binds, things that happen off-screen and are waved away.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The chain is nearly its 100th stand in Texas but has a limited presence in the West with the closes stands being in Arizona and Utah.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
-
If a church building closes, artwork, devotional items and other mementos are first offered to a neighboring parish and then to any parish in the Diocese.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Winning from behind is not sustainable, and the predicaments in which Chelsea have found themselves this week point to other problems.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Rustin has slyly given her script a focus on women’s needs and feelings, a welcome departure for a genre that usually is more concerned about the men’s predicaments.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Halts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/halts. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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