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
Relevance
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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pauses
Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Many of us are taught from childhood that pauses in conversation are awkward, even dangerous, and that love must constantly be proven through words.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Equipped with an intelligent rain sensor, the X7 pauses mowing during rain and resumes once the weather clears, protecting both your lawn and the machine.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
His wife pauses, smiles, then adds a note that summarizes everything.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
When the earphones are in your ears, audio automatically starts playing again but pauses when the earphones are around your neck.
—PC Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
When asked why the era still resonates so strongly, Cornia pauses.
—Mike Wass, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
And if the user’s hand accidentally gets too close to the chest, the drone intelligently pauses its approach.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2025
With printegrated electronics, the 3D printing process pauses at a point so that the PCB can be placed in a cavity of the object.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 June 2025
Ashley B. Stewart, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
And in case there were not enough pauses in the action, officials stopped the game several other times for lengthy reviews — some initiated by coaches — on foul calls.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025
Their awkward ensuing conversation, filled with long pauses, suggests that after all these years, these people know very little about one another.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2025
The move follows Israel's declaration of Gaza City as an active combat zone and the end of daytime pauses previously used to facilitate aid access.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
The United Nations and partners have said the pauses, airdrops and other measures fell far short of the 600 trucks of aid needed daily in Gaza.
—Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
The pauses began a month ago as international outrage grew over the worsening humanitarian crisis and starvation in the battered enclave.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Over the last half-billion years, squid, octopuses and their kin have evolved much like a fireworks display, with long, anticipatory pauses interspersed with intense, explosive changes.
—Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2025
The pauses could delay some shipments, but are not expected to affect most international commerce.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
Fired from elite law firm Tinley Britt after an argument with his boss (John Slattery), Rudy barely pauses for breath before launching into righteous combat.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Many of us are taught from childhood that pauses in conversation are awkward, even dangerous, and that love must constantly be proven through words.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Equipped with an intelligent rain sensor, the X7 pauses mowing during rain and resumes once the weather clears, protecting both your lawn and the machine.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
His wife pauses, smiles, then adds a note that summarizes everything.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
When the earphones are in your ears, audio automatically starts playing again but pauses when the earphones are around your neck.
—PC Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
When asked why the era still resonates so strongly, Cornia pauses.
—Mike Wass, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
And if the user’s hand accidentally gets too close to the chest, the drone intelligently pauses its approach.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2025
With printegrated electronics, the 3D printing process pauses at a point so that the PCB can be placed in a cavity of the object.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 June 2025
Noun
But with practice, the pauses get easier, the recovery gets faster and your presence becomes a practice and a way of being.
—Ashley B. Stewart, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
And in case there were not enough pauses in the action, officials stopped the game several other times for lengthy reviews — some initiated by coaches — on foul calls.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025
Their awkward ensuing conversation, filled with long pauses, suggests that after all these years, these people know very little about one another.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2025
The move follows Israel's declaration of Gaza City as an active combat zone and the end of daytime pauses previously used to facilitate aid access.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
The United Nations and partners have said the pauses, airdrops and other measures fell far short of the 600 trucks of aid needed daily in Gaza.
—Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
The pauses began a month ago as international outrage grew over the worsening humanitarian crisis and starvation in the battered enclave.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Over the last half-billion years, squid, octopuses and their kin have evolved much like a fireworks display, with long, anticipatory pauses interspersed with intense, explosive changes.
—Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2025
The pauses could delay some shipments, but are not expected to affect most international commerce.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pauses
Verb
-
But Andreia Alexander, an ER doctor in Indiana, told me that patients should not want a doctor who hesitates to save their life.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Lower will talk about work all day but hesitates to reveal much about Britt L’s outie.—
Julian Sancton,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Many matches that stretch to five sets are hailed as classics, but closer inspection reveals their lulls and impurities.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Time – Plan to stay out at least an hour; showers often have bursts and lulls.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Hold for five to 15 breaths, then release.—
Health Editorial Team,
Health,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Take slow, visible, audible breaths yourself.—
Kelsey Mora,
CNBC,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Guard members usually need to be on orders for more than 30 days to qualify for benefits, and multiple extensions to orders can sometimes cause interruptions.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Both retirement and disability benefits proceed without interruptions.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Potential breaks for employers Other changes that would allow workers to set aside more of their income on a pre-tax basis in flexible spending accounts for care expenses, from $5,000 to $7,500, are also likely to provide the largest benefits to higher income workers.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
That means more snack breaks during your study sessions.—
Mariyam Muhammad,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pauses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pauses. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share