as in to hesitate
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
he paused for a moment to regain his composure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lull
a momentary halt in an activity
there was a brief pause for applause in her speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
the question caught the professor off guard, and there was a pause before he responded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pause
Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
The program, plagued from the outset by cost overruns and delays, was paused by the ICC at the end of 2023 to conduct an investigation into the best path forward after the surcharge expired.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Kitan Arole, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026
Environmental and labor leaders say the pause is costing thousands of jobs and undermining energy independence.
—Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Verb
In the South Bay, Contra Costa County paused all-electric building requirements and a natural gas ban for new construction while officials reviewed legal concerns raised by the Berkeley case.
—Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
The program, plagued from the outset by cost overruns and delays, was paused by the ICC at the end of 2023 to conduct an investigation into the best path forward after the surcharge expired.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
The plight of food-insecure residents in the state became more visible in the fall when a 43-day shutdown of the federal government caused a pause in federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits to the hungry.
—Kitan Arole, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026
Environmental and labor leaders say the pause is costing thousands of jobs and undermining energy independence.
—Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pause
Verb
-
Survey respondents shared multiple ways that unemployment can have a negative impact including cancelling dates for financial reasons and hesitating to even ask someone out at all.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
13 Jan. 2026
-
As investors watched closely, even Republicans who hesitated to condemn the probe were careful to extol the virtues of an independent central bank.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Emilee Chinn / Getty Images Activity hit a lull after Edwin Díaz was introduced as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ new closer 26 days ago.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Hornick, the diner’s owner, said that despite the Logan Square spot struggling for many months — some days having a two-hour lull without a single customer — servers would turn a switch immediately as the door swung open.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In his view, hesitation invites escalation.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Despite some analyst hesitation that the popular running brands may be losing some of their steam in the market, both labels posted stellar earnings in their most recent quarterly reports.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Joanna Gaines and Sydney Sweeney were even ahead of the game and broke theirs out back in October and November, respectively.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
-
This can break the pathways that allow fire to spread from one structure to the next.—
Amanda Hari,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Everyday tasks like tying his shoes left him out of breath.—
Abby Roedel,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Her shooting, her suffering, her last breath.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Big money’s hesitancy Wall Street hasn’t jumped on board with the same fervor as the average Joe.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
25 Dec. 2025
-
Their efforts were met with hesitancy from some families — installing sensors required Ayala to enter homes for installation, and some families had privacy concerns around providing data to the sensors.—
Alonso Daboub,
Mercury News,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
In the meantime, Payton didn’t express much frustration over the interruptions to the team’s bye-week preparation.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
10 Jan. 2026
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Bed bugs aren’t covered in most plans, but interruption-for-any-reason coverage could help consumers recoup some of the unused trip expenses, according to Seven Corners.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Citing Chinese academic research, the report notes that financial and time pressures, especially the cost and burden of child care, are major factors contributing to families’ hesitance.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Dec. 2025
-
The judge continued to echo his hesitance following the reveal and shared an Instagram Stories post posing the question for fans.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pause. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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