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
Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
Then Jaimoe pauses, flashes a quick, playful grin, and rolls his right pant leg up to his knee.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2026
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
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
The pauses have also been criticized for interrupting the spectacle for fans, with broadcasters cutting to commercials.
—Dorany Pineda, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Critics say the pauses interrupt the rhythm of a sport that is less regimented than most American team sports.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 19 June 2026
For Chen, all performance exists within pauses and breaths.
—Marcus Lim, Variety, 19 June 2026
But speaking more cynically, the pauses provide chances for broadcasters to sell more advertising spots during FIFA’s biggest World Cup ever.
—Emily Olsen, New York Times, 16 June 2026
New Citadel employees learn not to fill in those pauses.
—Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Speakers left pauses for imaginary conversational partners to respond, as if observing real turn-taking conventions.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
Since the clock doesn't stop during a match, this accounts for the pauses in play.
—Mike Toole, CBS News, 13 June 2026
Verb
As the Air Force pauses flight test operations at the base, the investigation is expected to focus heavily on the aircraft's takeoff, looking for potential engine failures or controllability issues.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
Then Jaimoe pauses, flashes a quick, playful grin, and rolls his right pant leg up to his knee.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2026
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
Noun
The two mid-half pauses for hydration (and advertisements) have been met with increasingly loud boos from crowds who are frustrated at FIFA turning matches into de facto four-quarter affairs.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
The pauses have also been criticized for interrupting the spectacle for fans, with broadcasters cutting to commercials.
—Dorany Pineda, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Critics say the pauses interrupt the rhythm of a sport that is less regimented than most American team sports.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 19 June 2026
For Chen, all performance exists within pauses and breaths.
—Marcus Lim, Variety, 19 June 2026
But speaking more cynically, the pauses provide chances for broadcasters to sell more advertising spots during FIFA’s biggest World Cup ever.
—Emily Olsen, New York Times, 16 June 2026
New Citadel employees learn not to fill in those pauses.
—Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Speakers left pauses for imaginary conversational partners to respond, as if observing real turn-taking conventions.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
Since the clock doesn't stop during a match, this accounts for the pauses in play.
—Mike Toole, CBS News, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pauses
Verb
-
Sirianni hesitates for a moment, like the school troublemaker on the verge of another unpleasant trip to the principal’s office.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
If someone hesitates, keep spirits up and adjust the route without losing the goal, then genuinely celebrate small wins.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Yes, there were lulls, to be sure.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
-
The quality, however, doesn’t make for a pleasant viewing experience, especially during lulls in the season like the one the Dodgers are currently battling through.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The global economy was still caught in the vise of the Great Depression, civil war was brewing in Spain, and the League of Nations was breathing its last breaths.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
-
It’s made of strong, tear-resistant nylon and inflates manually using about nine breaths.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Home environments introduce variables, from power interruptions, internet instability, household noise, and isolation, that may contribute to employee dissatisfaction over time.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Declutter Your Creativity The biggest clutter to creative work is the constant stream of interruptions and quick-win tasks throughout the average workday.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
In the director’s view, fragmented editing breaks emotional continuity; an unbroken take mirrors the uninterrupted flow of lived experience.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 June 2026
-
There will be hydration breaks during games and special rules that take effect if the on-field temperature exceeds 32°C (90°F).—
Arthur L. Kellermann,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pauses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pauses. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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