interrupt

verb

ˌin-tə-ˈrəpt How to pronounce interrupt (audio)
Definition of interruptnext
as in to intrude
to cause a disruption in a conversation or discussion it's rude to interrupt when someone is making an important point

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 interrupt As the group makes its way across the globe, Lovelace and Southern interrupt the concert footage with miniature portraits of fans in each tour stop. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026 Near the end of the fourth episode of Adults season 2, a threesome between housemates is interrupted by a furry critter. — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2026 Claims of citizenship are supposed to interrupt the machinery of deportation. — María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026 If someone interrupts your day or questions a boundary, don’t wait until you’re frustrated to speak up. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for interrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interrupt
  1. intrude
  2. bother
  3. cut in
  4. add
  5. interpose
  6. break in
Verb
  • Other heavy-handed touches intrude on the film’s sophistication, such as the female protagonist of Jeremy’s novel being like a character trapped in her own existence, unsubtly indicating what Sofia is feeling.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Thinking another male had intruded on his territory, the bird quickly descended.
    — Stephanie Szarmach, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of intrude
Verb
  • The only way Paul managed a point the whole game was with a 136 mph bullet to the corner that Alcaraz didn’t even bother moving for.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Ohtani reported that the area from his biceps to his neck was bothering him Wednesday night, Roberts said.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bother
Verb
  • The primary targets for cuts in science are NASA’s funding for operating missions, especially those well beyond their original design lives, and support for partnerships on international missions.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Annual admissions exceeded 200 million before COVID-19 but were cut in half last year.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of cut in
Verb
  • Deposition systems add extremely thin layers of material onto a silicon wafer.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Randal Grichuk started the eighth inning with a home run and Kyle Teel added a three-run blast later in the inning for the White Sox.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of add
Verb
  • The short-haired friend interposed herself on the bench between the twenty-three-year-old woman and the thirty-five-year-old man, putting her arm around the former and totally ignoring the latter.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • Language, being a product of rationality, lacks the capacity to interpose itself.
    — Rachel Cusk, New Yorker, 13 June 2026
Definition of interpose
Verb
  • Arkansas-Pine Bluff provided little resistance and gave Mizzou a chance to break in new quarterback Austin Simmons with a near-perfect performance.
    — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • More cohesion from an offensive line entering its second game and breaking in a slew of new starters.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of break in

Browse Nearby Words

interrogatory
interrupt
interrupted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Interrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interrupt. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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