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
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
Oregon followed suit in April, temporarily pausing confidential plate registrations for any federal agencies.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Before the hard sell comes a pause.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Verb
That price may make some people pause.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
Oregon followed suit in April, temporarily pausing confidential plate registrations for any federal agencies.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
Noun
The news of the spinoff came during reports of a production pause on the original Mormon Wives show.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Before the hard sell comes a pause.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 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
-
Back then, the economy saw a lull in productivity growth as a transformative new technology took hold.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
-
That lull is deceptive and even stronger winds can quickly resume.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
28 May 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
-
After breaking a sweat, kick back by the zen outdoor infinity pool.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
But Paul Heyman would put Breakker’s foot on the rope to break the pin.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The New York Knicks held their collective breath during the first quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night after All-Star guard Jalen Brunson suffered an injury scare against the San Antonio Spurs.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
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For Ginsberg, ever-attuned to the rhythmic physicality of verse, the central atom of poetry wasn’t the line or the foot, but rather the breath, emphasizing that his were longer than his free verse hero Whitman because the good, grey poet probably had smaller lungs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Smith shared, citing his and Henson’s lack of a traditional film or music training as a reason for the hesitancy.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Game officials weren’t able to determine who had possession at the time of the interruption, so a jump ball ensued.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
The increase in uninsured children under 6 is likely due in part to the Medicaid unwinding process, which refers to the end of the pandemic-era requirement that those on Medicaid be able to stay enrolled in the program without interruption.—
Ciara McCarthy
June 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 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 5 Jun. 2026.
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