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
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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
Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
For a moment, time seemed to pause as Vogue100 glimpsed the future of fashion unfolding before them.
—Sasha Pinto, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2025
Melina Khan, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
The Department of Transportation (USDOT) had earlier confirmed the pause of two major projects for New York City—the extension of the Second Avenue Subway and the Hudson Tunnel.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pause
Verb
Most military operations and veteran benefits remain funded during shutdowns, but servicemembers’ pay will be paused until a spending bill is passed, according to NBC News.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
For a moment, time seemed to pause as Vogue100 glimpsed the future of fashion unfolding before them.
—Sasha Pinto, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
Parents may want to press pause before blaring Taylor Swift’s new album around young listeners.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
The Department of Transportation (USDOT) had earlier confirmed the pause of two major projects for New York City—the extension of the Second Avenue Subway and the Hudson Tunnel.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pause
Verb
-
Shaking in his seat, Dobby initially hesitated to comment on the subject, but then segment anchor Michael Che offered him some encouragement.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The director hesitated to watch the film at the Cannes Classics showing.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
To top it all off, the in-game lulls that have plagued the Bills’ offense at times followed them once again.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Though Israeli forces will continue to encircle Gaza City, this lull in combat operations is intended to allow Hamas members to locate the 48 remaining hostages, the Israeli military said, with fewer than half of those estimated to be still alive.—
Willem Marx,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As the title suggests, its cast was entirely composed of couples in which one party was ready to get hitched, and the other had hesitations.—
James Factora,
Them.,
3 Oct. 2025
-
However, lofty goals often lead to significant hesitation or avoidance.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The therapy works by breaking a cycle.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Isiah Pacheco had his longest carry this season — and broke two tackles to do it.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
After an extended run of mediocre at best — and at worst, totally anemic — releases, 2024’s Call of Duty felt like a breath of fresh air, if only by default.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Oct. 2025
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The latter’s video focused on her seatmate, whose infectious giggles and wheezing breaths—which one commenter joked sounded like the engine—became the soundtrack to the plane fault.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Christine, 53, now tells PEOPLE about her hesitancy to return to the series that made her family household names.—
Dory Jackson,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Educational research shows that spoken practice strengthens memory and reduces hesitancy more effectively than passive drills, which is why Airlearn places conversation at the core of its design.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Policies come with roadside assistance, trip interruption protection and a loaner car while your vehicle is being repaired.—
Brian Sloan,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Any interruptions to basic research, such as changes to financial supports or institutions, may threaten future discoveries and potential payoffs for years to come.—
Ryan Summers,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Trump has taken distinct interest in influencing the Fed, repeatedly criticizing Chair Jerome Powell over his hesitance to back lowering interest rates.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Chatter in the market revolved around the reasons for the downturn – rising competition from streaming platforms, consumer belt-tightening and hesitance on the part of investors and studios – as well as possible solutions.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pause. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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