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
ABC News, 3 May 2026
The Defense secretary said the clock pauses during a ceasefire.
—Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The ruling, which pauses enforcement of the measure while an appeal proceeds in court, marks the second blow to California’s efforts to force federal agents to identify themselves.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Martin Picard Partway through a technical explanation of his work, Picard pauses and briefly looks away.
—Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
But now Hunt stops reading from his phone and pauses to collect his words.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Trust short pauses to reveal what truly deserves your attention next.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
After April, the Galaxy will be faced with a five-game May before the league pauses for the FIFA World Cup.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
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
Nia Bowers, USA Today, 8 May 2026
More often than not, the request gets the big kids’ attention, and chaos ceases (pauses) as the three of them roll around singing while Marc and I stand in the doorway kvelling.
—Risa Polansky Shiman, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
Even brief pauses can reduce muscle tension and lower stress hormone levels.
—Danielle Wilhour, The Conversation, 5 May 2026
In this production, reflective pauses become multimedia spectacles.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2026
Business major Andrea Lui found the chatbot’s voice to be surprisingly human, but the conversation felt choppy with odd pauses.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Business major Andrea Lui found the chatbot’s voice to be surprisingly human, but the conversation felt choppy with odd pauses.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Women also have more hypopneas (shallow breaths with less oxygen flow), whereas men tend toward apneas (complete pauses in breathing).
—Katie Camero, SELF, 16 Apr. 2026
According to the Cleveland Clinic, premature babies can experience these pauses along with a slow heart rate or low blood oxygen levels.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
Secretary Hegseth told your committee that the administration doesn't need congressional authorization to continue the war past 60 days because the clock pauses because of the ceasefire.
—ABC News, 3 May 2026
The Defense secretary said the clock pauses during a ceasefire.
—Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
The ruling, which pauses enforcement of the measure while an appeal proceeds in court, marks the second blow to California’s efforts to force federal agents to identify themselves.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Martin Picard Partway through a technical explanation of his work, Picard pauses and briefly looks away.
—Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
But now Hunt stops reading from his phone and pauses to collect his words.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Trust short pauses to reveal what truly deserves your attention next.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
After April, the Galaxy will be faced with a five-game May before the league pauses for the FIFA World Cup.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
There are also sections called a Cup of Tea with Meg, conversational pauses that feel like sitting across from someone who is not trying to sell you anything.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 8 May 2026
More often than not, the request gets the big kids’ attention, and chaos ceases (pauses) as the three of them roll around singing while Marc and I stand in the doorway kvelling.
—Risa Polansky Shiman, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
Even brief pauses can reduce muscle tension and lower stress hormone levels.
—Danielle Wilhour, The Conversation, 5 May 2026
In this production, reflective pauses become multimedia spectacles.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2026
Business major Andrea Lui found the chatbot’s voice to be surprisingly human, but the conversation felt choppy with odd pauses.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Business major Andrea Lui found the chatbot’s voice to be surprisingly human, but the conversation felt choppy with odd pauses.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Women also have more hypopneas (shallow breaths with less oxygen flow), whereas men tend toward apneas (complete pauses in breathing).
—Katie Camero, SELF, 16 Apr. 2026
According to the Cleveland Clinic, premature babies can experience these pauses along with a slow heart rate or low blood oxygen levels.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pauses
Verb
-
The mother in Frederick County still hesitates.—
Natasha Dartigue,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
-
His grandson, Jack Schlossberg, who is running for Congress, never hesitates to remind audiences of his lineage.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Not all parts of the country seem to have the same pattern, although the data points to school breaks as relative lulls.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rather than acting out on the anger, take a calming moment with some deep breaths, and think about the possibility that your partner was possibly distracted or stressed out.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Reid gathered himself by leaning against the basket stanchion, flexing his jaw and taking in some deep breaths.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Klaus talks to his sister in California on an elegant brass and Bakelite 1940s telephone (the props are divine throughout), complete with operator interruptions.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
Residents can generally expect to use household electrical appliances without interruptions, according to the company.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Gauff, playing in her second consecutive Italian Open final, appeared in control of the match in the first set, leading 4-2 with chances to go up by two breaks of serve.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
-
Peaks, troughs, breaks, beginnings, and endings shape the quality of decisions.—
Gerald J. Leonard,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pauses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pauses. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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