Synonyms of pause

pause 1 of 2

verb

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

• hesitate
• break
• stop
• interrupt
• catch one's breath
• hold one's horses
• finish
• cease
• break in
• end
• terminate
• discontinue
• lapse
• lay off
• quit
• let up
• knock off

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continue
• persist
• advance
• extend
• stretch
• progress
• prolong

pause

2 of 2

noun

ˈpȯz 

1

as in lull

a momentary halt in an activity

there was a brief pause for applause in her speech

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lull
• breath
• interruption
• break
• recess
• rest
• interval
• breather
• stopping
• time-out
• interlude
• suspension
• intermission
• lapse
• respite
• interim
• cessation
• stoppage
• finishing
• hiatus
• downtime
• gap
• hitch
• expiration
• discontinuance
• termination
• moratorium
• ending
• abeyance
• discontinuity
• surcease

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• progress
• continuation
• persistence
• progression
• endurance
• extension
• prolongation

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

• hesitation
• hesitancy
• hesitance
• delay
• indecision
• deliberation
• faltering
• vacillation
• wavering
• wobbling
• irresolution
• uncertainty
• waiting
• fence-sitting
• doubt
• shilly-shallying
• shilly-shally
• reluctance
• consideration
• debate
• second thought
• procrastination
• hawing
• arrière-pensée
• indetermination
• incertitude
• unwillingness
• indecisiveness
• avoidance
• misgiving
• timidity
• indisposition
• equivocation
• disinclination
• faintheartedness
• uncertainness
• shyness
• timidness
• aversion

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• resolution
• determination
• confidence
• certainty
• firmness
• certitude
• readiness
• eagerness
• decisiveness
• alacrity
• resoluteness
• sureness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pause

Verb

The approach of the former was to pause and bask; the latter, to launch with his backup dancers into a complicated set of steps. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026

Now, eight years and nearly two full terms later, the governor has paused those incentives as the onset of data centers has stressed energy and water resources and public opinion has swiftly turned against the tech behemoths. — Ben Szalinski, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Noun

But advocates like VanDiver said the letters, alongside the crumbling of other programs like Temporary Protected Status and immigration application pauses, cause confusion and fear. — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 15 Aug. 2026

Leon concluded that a pause wouldn’t jeopardize national security. — Michael Kunzelman, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026