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
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Recent Examples of pause
Footwear News, 15 May 2026
The effort was paused last month pending further review by DHS officials.
—Rob Kuznia, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 15 May 2026
Right-hander Triston McKenzie’s return to the majors is on pause.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Verb
Style was often paused or reshaped into something purely functional during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
—Footwear News, 15 May 2026
The effort was paused last month pending further review by DHS officials.
—Rob Kuznia, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
Noun
The pause in operations at Qatar’s Raas Laffan and Mesaieed LNG facilities in early March affected nearly a third of global helium supply.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 15 May 2026
Right-hander Triston McKenzie’s return to the majors is on pause.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pause
Verb
-
And the Los Angeles Chargers didn’t hesitate on pulling the trigger.—
Greg Dudek,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
-
When leadership is too removed, teams hesitate.—
Sue Mysko,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The quality, however, doesn’t make for a pleasant viewing experience, especially during lulls in the season like the one the Dodgers are currently battling through.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
There’s typically an offseason lull with most players, so drops in price or sales volume aren’t abnormal this time of year for NFL players.—
Benjamin Burrows,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
There can be apathy and hesitation.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
For example, during his dominant, 18-point first quarter in the Spurs’ Game 5 win over the Timberwolves, on one play Wembanyama hit a combo of hesitation dribbles into a crossover into a spinning layup over Rudy Gobert.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Yet both can break, rendering them oddly both permanent and fragile.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Trump now faces a break-the-glass moment to avoid gas prices from blowing past Biden-era records highs.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
An edgy confrontation The Rangers were still seething as Keenan attempted to address the team following a demoralizing 3-1 loss, with a few snapping back or muttering under their breath.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Grande sings that lyric in a low tone, not quite a whisper, but something just as fragile and out of breath.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Now on the Democratic side, at least when this began, there was hesitancy from Democrats, even about Newsom’s idea of fighting fire with fire.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Cutting that research doesn’t make hesitancy disappear.—
A.J. Russo,
Baltimore Sun,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
To help ensure earnings are reported correctly and reduce the risk of overpayments or benefit interruptions, keep track of hours worked, gross monthly earnings, employer details and pay stubs.—
Diane Winiarski,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Full political violence insurance can cover property damage and business interruption tied to terrorism, sabotage, riots, strikes, civil commotion, insurrection, rebellion, mutiny, coup and war.—
Contessa Brewer,Dawn Giel,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Sensing hesitance as well as incompetence, coaches and players alike tried to sway the flailing fill-ins at every turn.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pause. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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