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

Before ascending, Turull pauses at an enormous seashell — a real one, not made of stone — that serves as a basin for holy water. —ABC News, 9 June 2026

Queen Anne's County pauses data center development During the 12-month pause, the county will research and evaluate potential impacts that data centers could have on local infrastructure, land use, utilities and environmental resources. —Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 4 June 2026

Remembering that moment, Grohl pauses to consider. —Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026

In addition, pauses during scans dropped by 63 percent. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026

Road closures around Mill Street in Westport will disappear — temporarily — as ongoing construction pauses ahead of the FIFA World Cup, offering a reprieve for Westport visitors. —Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026

When breaching a budget actually pauses releases, reliability stops being an ops problem and becomes everyone’s problem. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

Mosoff pauses with the unmistakable air of impending confession. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 May 2026

This Memorial Day, while the rest of the country pauses to honor the fallen, scammers are doing something else entirely. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026

Noun

Anthropic, one of OpenAI’s top competitors, has proposed mechanisms for coordinating pauses on advanced AI development if systems become too powerful. —ABC News, 6 June 2026

Anthropic, one of OpenAI’s top competitors, has proposed mechanisms for coordinating pauses on advanced AI development if systems become too powerful. —Joey Cappelletti, Fortune, 5 June 2026

Other legislatures have enacted pauses or bans, but this is believed to be the first move of its kind. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 4 June 2026

The calculation does not include pauses or responses directed to the speaker. —Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2026

Student loan payment pauses get harder The OBBBA also phases out some relief options for student loan borrowers who become unemployed or are dealing with an economic hardship. —Annie Nova, CNBC, 31 May 2026

Strange pauses or vocal fluctuations were previously considered red flags that a caller’s voice might be AI-generated. —Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 29 May 2026

Instead of direct feedback, their vague responses, pauses, or neutral expressions force staff to constantly interpret unsaid meanings, creating significant cognitive load. —Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

Taiwanese officials say they were not alerted to any potential pauses, according to The Associated Press. —Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026