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
Alfonso Cahero,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
In litigation that has been paused during the Supreme Court review, Epic expects to force Apple to show receipts explaining why commission rates are so high.
—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
30 June 2026
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
28 June 2026
Some card descriptions are a bit wordy, forcing pauses to reread during your first attempts.
—
Jason Bennett,
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Verb
Furthermore, stillness, the capacity to pause and gain perspective, is an underrated leadership skill, allowing for judgment over fear.
—
Alfonso Cahero,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
In litigation that has been paused during the Supreme Court review, Epic expects to force Apple to show receipts explaining why commission rates are so high.
—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
30 June 2026
Noun
The dinner was positioned as a pause from the noise of a packed — and extremely hot — fashion week.
—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
28 June 2026
Some card descriptions are a bit wordy, forcing pauses to reread during your first attempts.
—
Jason Bennett,
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pause
Verb
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When King asked if the unnamed celebrity was the one, Brown didn't hesitate.
-
The girls don’t hesitate to lay into him either with Trinity, Melanie, and Aniya all coming to Kenzie’s impassioned defense.
Noun
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The World Cup is in a bit of a lull right now, as the chaos of the sprawling group stage, with its communal good vibes, gives way to the business end of the tournament.
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Atmospheric warming is diminishing wildfires’ nighttime lulls.
Noun
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When Miller unleashed another slider, Suzuki showed no hesitation.
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That hesitation becomes stronger when the candidate frames the pivot as a weakness.
Verb
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Puncture wounds are a classic example, but lacerations, fractures that break the skin, burns, crush injuries and even relatively minor cuts can also pose a risk if they are contaminated with dirt or debris.
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Noun
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The head may be turned, a breath taken in a conscious way, or not.
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Fans hold their breath and hope for Messi to score every time that Argentina plays, but this team is loaded with talent.
Noun
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Part of it is a hesitancy to trade veterans on expiring contracts (prior to this season’s trades with Buffalo) to get picks back.
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Another common problem for leaders is dealing with the pressure to innovate or the hesitancy to invest from the board.
Noun
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The result can be a more consistent connection, fewer interruptions and less of that infuriating mid-episode quality drop.
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Conducted at Longcheer Technology’s electronics manufacturing facility, the robots carried out tasks including tablet inspection, defect sorting, and material transport without interruption.
Noun
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That hesitance in the Republican Party coexists with palpable relief that there’s a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East after months of strikes on Iran.
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Others, like Choi, believe that knowledge gaps are to blame for donor hesitance to get involved.
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pause. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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