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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pause
Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
Ohio paused tax incentives for data centers on Wednesday.
—Yash Roy, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 5 June 2026
This pause is allowing ATF to evaluate the program effectiveness from reporting mandates to tracing results.
—Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Verb
After finally reaching a place of stability and peace in his gender identity, temporarily pausing that progress to donate his eggs carried significant emotional weight.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
Ohio paused tax incentives for data centers on Wednesday.
—Yash Roy, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Noun
What matters is that these concerns reflect broader questions and should give us pause.
—Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 5 June 2026
This pause is allowing ATF to evaluate the program effectiveness from reporting mandates to tracing results.
—Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pause
Verb
-
But at the last second, Pages pulled up to let Tucker make the catch, and Tucker hesitated before flailing after it.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
While their rivals started spending significant sums of money as soon as the 2024-25 season finished, Spurs wasted a couple of weeks hesitating about the long-term future of then head coach Ange Postecoglou before replacing him with Thomas Frank.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The government still remains optimistic that the livestock lull is temporary.—
Justin Klawans,
TheWeek,
4 June 2026
-
Lucia Cheng After an afternoon lull, more voters are stopping by to cast their ballots in Des Moines' Precinct 40, located at Central Presbyterian Church.—
Cooper Worth,
Des Moines Register,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
His party was in denial, and the hesitation cost them the general election.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2026
-
Aside from his hesitations over the SNL cue cards, Holland has not shied away from live performance itself.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers the death penalty, cold cases and breaking news for USA TODAY.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
The roads, rubble on rubble, broken.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Tunisia holding its breath Central midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, arguably Tunisia’s best player, limped off the field during a warm-up game against Austria, according to the Score.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
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Newport, Rhode Island On this breath-taking peninsula overlooking Narragansett Bay, Castle Hill Inn is a definitive choice for solace, if for no other reason that waking up to the dramatic view each morning.—
Judith Garrison,
AJC.com,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Another common problem for leaders is dealing with the pressure to innovate or the hesitancy to invest from the board.—
Francesca Cassidy,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
-
His hesitancy could undermine one of DeSantis’ key arguments to sway voters, particularly those in small counties, in favor of the amendment.—
Romy Ellenbogen Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Upon resuming the meeting, Breadon didn’t directly address the arrests, but said no further interruptions would be tolerated, per Council rules.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
-
The ride interruptions quickly became a topic of discussion among Disney fans online.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Others, like Choi, believe that knowledge gaps are to blame for donor hesitance to get involved.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
25 May 2026
-
After a pause for the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, social hesitance was still evident and masks were incorporated into some of the night's designs.—
Luis Giraldo,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pause. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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