as in hesitates
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
as in lulls
a momentary halt in an activity
there was a brief pause for applause in her speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pauses
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
One option is Currently Not Collectible (CNC) status, an IRS designation that temporarily pauses collections activities on your account.
—Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The woman pauses, runs her tongue over her teeth.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
The feature is enabled by default and pauses file syncing when the system detects potential ransomware activity.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
This status pauses tax collection efforts, but interest and penalties continue to build.
—Kat Tretina, Sacbee.com, 29 Mar. 2026
The video shared online by the TV station pauses at the point when officers shoot Serrano.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
The noise pauses conversations, interrupts performances at the nearby Langroise Center for the Performing Arts, and challenges residents near the tracks to find sleep as an average eight trains pass through downtown each night.
—Noah Daly, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican, would need to certify a ballot measure that pauses the map until Missouri voters weigh in during the General Election.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Drummers’ timekeeping is fluid; even at its most rocksteady, it’s enlivened by tiny, imperceptible pauses and hiccups.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
The dueling claims highlight the deep mistrust between the two sides and underscore the difficulty of enforcing even temporary pauses in fighting.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Currently, the city is in Stage 3, which means pauses on many outdoor water uses.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
This research lends more credence to the idea that removing undemanding duties from workers’ days may inadvertently strip away the pauses that keep them cognitively locked in.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
Those have included pauses in new licenses and a sweep of in-person site visits currently underway.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 9 Apr. 2026
To travel just one meter, these fish require an average of 30 to 60 seconds of movement, along with eight to nine short pauses and nine one-hour rests on horizontal ledges along their route, according to Phys.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
The months of rehab, setbacks and pauses took their toll on the living legend.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
The reader who pauses for breath, after this recitation of horrors, is soon rewarded by being plunged into a yet more catastrophic mire.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
One option is Currently Not Collectible (CNC) status, an IRS designation that temporarily pauses collections activities on your account.
—Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The woman pauses, runs her tongue over her teeth.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
The feature is enabled by default and pauses file syncing when the system detects potential ransomware activity.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
This status pauses tax collection efforts, but interest and penalties continue to build.
—Kat Tretina, Sacbee.com, 29 Mar. 2026
The video shared online by the TV station pauses at the point when officers shoot Serrano.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
The noise pauses conversations, interrupts performances at the nearby Langroise Center for the Performing Arts, and challenges residents near the tracks to find sleep as an average eight trains pass through downtown each night.
—Noah Daly, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican, would need to certify a ballot measure that pauses the map until Missouri voters weigh in during the General Election.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
Last year, the agency issued more than 500 payment pauses, which is a 240% increase over 2024, according to agency data.
—Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Drummers’ timekeeping is fluid; even at its most rocksteady, it’s enlivened by tiny, imperceptible pauses and hiccups.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
The dueling claims highlight the deep mistrust between the two sides and underscore the difficulty of enforcing even temporary pauses in fighting.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Currently, the city is in Stage 3, which means pauses on many outdoor water uses.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
This research lends more credence to the idea that removing undemanding duties from workers’ days may inadvertently strip away the pauses that keep them cognitively locked in.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
Those have included pauses in new licenses and a sweep of in-person site visits currently underway.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 9 Apr. 2026
To travel just one meter, these fish require an average of 30 to 60 seconds of movement, along with eight to nine short pauses and nine one-hour rests on horizontal ledges along their route, according to Phys.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
The months of rehab, setbacks and pauses took their toll on the living legend.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pauses
Verb
-
If a gatekeeper hesitates, breathe and restate your win.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Apr. 2026
-
In the finale, Nicky hesitates at the altar, leading Rachel to question their relationship.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Referring to the decline in permits approved, ECMC Director Julie Murphy said there were lulls as everyone adjusted course.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Acting in a movie involves a lot of waiting around, too—as the crew repositions cameras and adjusts the lighting, among other things—and those lulls provided me with plenty of time to feel queasy with anxiety.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Borne started chest compression; Gross administered breaths.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The show’s set, designed by Hildegard Bechtler, centers around a panel which features — in bright, yellow lettering — the day and time, taking the audience from Sunday morning to Wednesday evening, when Romeo and Juliet take their final breaths.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In real-life scenarios, the AI chatbot excels at rapidly resolving problems for customers, from changes to trips, to navigating travel interruptions.—
Lizeth Beltran,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, other types of interruptions, like lunch breaks, hurt productivity when workers return to a task.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When the news breaks of faraway civilian casualties — an erroneous air strike on a school that relied on outdated intelligence, for example — the mind takes refuge in abstractions and statistics.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
-
By the Sea also deducted pay for meal breaks even if the workers didn’t take a meal break.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pauses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pauses. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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