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
Alex Crippen, CNBC, 7 Mar. 2026
In February, Canadian and Russian air carriers paused trips to Cuba due to the country’s jet fuel reserves running dry.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
The council members voting for the pause gave no further direction to staff on next steps or how/when to move forward.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Verb
No 'immediate action' on selling Kraft Heinz shares Abel praised the decision last month by Kraft Heinz's new CEO Steve Cahillane to pause plans for split the company in two, a division that would have essentially reversed the merger Warren Buffett helped orchestrate in 2015.
—Alex Crippen, CNBC, 7 Mar. 2026
In February, Canadian and Russian air carriers paused trips to Cuba due to the country’s jet fuel reserves running dry.
—Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
Over time, such pauses can cause corrosion and structural damage that needs to be repaired before operations can fully resume.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
The council members voting for the pause gave no further direction to staff on next steps or how/when to move forward.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pause
Verb
-
Palmer is the center of the film and building the cast around her initially had Riley hesitating.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Anyone who spots a Nile monitor should be aware these animals will not hesitate to defend themselves.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Both teams had early goals before the game hit a scoring lull.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
So many terrible things happen that the reader develops a kind of flinch, bracing for the next calamity whenever there is a brief lull in the misery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Pittenger noted the hesitation from others made sense.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Several people began pushing the fish back toward the ocean — but not without some initial hesitation.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If oil prices stay very high for very long, households' budgets already stretched by high inflation could break under the pressure.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Comfort battles formality fighting to break free.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But Vanek also has people round their back into turtle pose, using humming breaths to connect with vibration-sensing creatures, and using the outstretched arms of some poses to greet new snake visitors.—
Deena Prichep,
NPR,
11 Mar. 2026
-
His prose has a photographic quality that just takes my breath away.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Finally, Jim said that our hesitancy to sell is due to fear that the company will figure out how to solve its AI woes.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
-
That hesitancy has never fully disappeared.—
Ken Toltz,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Just after that test, however, a problem popped up — an interruption in the flow of helium in the upper stage of Artemis 2's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Oil prices ticked up Wednesday on worries of a sustained interruption to global flows.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Analysts have noted Mojtaba's lack of adequate religious credentials and hesitance within the regime to oversee a dynastic succession as marks against his candidacy to be the next supreme leader.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Her only hesitance was how much the internet has changed culture in the past decade.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pause. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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