Synonyms of pauses

pauses 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of pause

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

• hesitates
• breaks
• interrupts
• stops
• finishes
• catches one's breath
• holds one's horses
• ceases
• ends
• terminates
• breaks in
• lapses
• discontinues
• lays off
• quits
• knocks off
• lets up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continues
• persists
• advances
• progresses
• extends
• stretches
• prolongs

pauses

2 of 2

noun

plural of pause

as in lulls

a momentary halt in an activity

there was a brief pause for applause in her speech

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lulls
• breaths
• interruptions
• breaks
• recesses
• intervals
• rests
• breathers
• intermissions
• interludes
• respites
• stoppages
• gaps
• suspensions
• lapses
• hitches
• time-outs
• cessations
• hiatuses
• downtimes
• endings
• interims
• discontinuances
• terminations
• discontinuities
• expirations
• moratoriums
• abeyances
• surceases

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• progresses
• continuations
• progressions
• extensions
• prolongations
• endurances
• persistences

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pauses

Verb

Liquid nitrogen storage pauses cellular activity, so the egg should not degrade over time. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

The ruling pauses enforcement on the tax on second properties while a lawsuit brought by a group of homeowners moves forward. — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026

In reality, remediation still pauses while security teams validate results, IT schedules maintenance windows or multiple stakeholders approve deployment. — Deepak Kumar, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

In her acknowledgments, Jacobsen pauses to remind her readers that her tale’s painstaking realism is just a literary device. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026

The order pauses what threatened to be a damaging political spectacle over the theft of $580,000 in cash from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala private game farm. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 24 July 2026

One brutal knife fight pauses so a brawler can cue up a song on the jukebox that sounds like something Doris Day would slow-dance to. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

The order pauses the $110 billion acquisition deal for 14 days. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 21 July 2026

The night shift manager, son of The Club’s property manager, pauses his online blackjack game to hand over a duplicate fob. — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026

Noun

The dramatic uptick in the number of pauses suggest that 2026’s climate has been pretty catastrophic, though. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 12 Aug. 2026

When thoughtful pauses disappear, organizations eventually lose the ability to think collectively. — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Indiana's gas sales and excise tax pauses are costing Indiana $50 million and $90 million per month, respectively, in lost revenue, according to Braun. — Lucy Tobier, IndyStar, 6 Aug. 2026

Smaller and more rural jurisdictions have also adopted one-year pauses, including Queen Anne’s County on the Eastern Shore and Washington County in Western Maryland. — Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 5 Aug. 2026

Show your unique speaking style For decades, communication coaches counseled clients to ruthlessly eliminate verbal tics and awkward pauses. — Matt Abrahams, Time, 5 Aug. 2026

But if the thief can listen closely as the dial turns, small clicks or churns or pauses might reveal something about what is happening inside. — Chetan Jaiswal, The Conversation, 30 July 2026

But with inflation still comfortably above the central bank's target 2% goal and the potential for that rate to rise even higher on the back of geopolitical tensions and overseas conflicts, the period of Fed rate pauses may soon be ending. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 29 July 2026

Modi’s gestures, pauses and mannerisms have been turned into viral edits that turn his own words into political jokes. — ABC News, 25 July 2026