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

The director pauses, remembering a moment from his reporting. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

The preview began by showing the pair getting caught up in a drug bust, in which Jason pauses to pet a dog on their way into a pickup that ends in a shootout with police. — Angela Yang, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026

The decision essentially pauses a preliminary injunction that granted a fifth season for the upcoming 2026-27 college season and represents a significant legal victory for the NCAA. — Justin Williams, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Five years after Mercedes’ winning streak was interrupted, Wolff pauses when describing his feelings about its comeback. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 21 Aug. 2026

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

Noun

At least 15 states have considered restrictions or pauses on new data centers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, but about half of those proposals have failed. — Austyn Gaffney, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026

Still, Netflix collected granular information about subscriber activity on its platform, the lawsuit says, including searches, pauses, rewatches, browsing and scrolling behavior and device information. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026

Given its power, AI can evaluate customer responses based on factors such as speaking rate, pitch variation, pauses, volume shifts and vocal tension. — Stu Sjouwerman, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

In response, many cities have introduced data center moratoriums, or temporary pauses on construction, until certain promises have been made. — Greta Reich, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

While safety experts say the companies’ new controls and pauses are a welcome change, some say there’s still more needed. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026

Lawmakers in 15 states have introduced legislation for data center bans or pauses, and more than 100 localities have already approved their own pauses. — Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy defines a thru-hike as completing all of the trail’s sections in any order within a year, allowing for pauses — and that’s exactly what Sanders did. — Susan Young, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy defines a thru-hike as completing all of the trail's sections in any order within a year, allowing for pauses. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026