as in hesitating
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
he paused for a moment to regain his composure
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Recent Examples of pausing
While many executives are pausing on big hires or deferring large projects, Dave Anderson, Founder of TSC Security, argues that protecting your company’s digital assets should not be placed on the back burner.
—
Matt Emma, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
That means pausing to make sure your own needs are met before catering to everyone else and taking some time out of the day to embrace life’s quiet moments.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 10 Sep. 2025
The council at large received nationwide criticism as well for briefly pausing to celebrate members’ birthdays and eat cake during a City Council meeting where the stabbing was discussed.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
The federal government did not weigh in on pausing the case.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
For the nearly two decades since pausing the AMAD plan, Iran voluntarily stopped short of crossing the weapons line.
—Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
In November, Adele endured backlash from fans for pausing her Las Vegas residency.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Nearly half of mothers (49%) say that costs affect their decision to have more children, while 24% have decided to have fewer children, and 25% are delaying or pausing their plans altogether.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The sweeping injunction was upheld by a federal appeals court, and the DOJ asked the Supreme Court earlier this month to issue an order pausing the restrictions.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2025
Matt Emma, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
That means pausing to make sure your own needs are met before catering to everyone else and taking some time out of the day to embrace life’s quiet moments.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 10 Sep. 2025
The council at large received nationwide criticism as well for briefly pausing to celebrate members’ birthdays and eat cake during a City Council meeting where the stabbing was discussed.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
The federal government did not weigh in on pausing the case.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
For the nearly two decades since pausing the AMAD plan, Iran voluntarily stopped short of crossing the weapons line.
—Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
In November, Adele endured backlash from fans for pausing her Las Vegas residency.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Nearly half of mothers (49%) say that costs affect their decision to have more children, while 24% have decided to have fewer children, and 25% are delaying or pausing their plans altogether.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The sweeping injunction was upheld by a federal appeals court, and the DOJ asked the Supreme Court earlier this month to issue an order pausing the restrictions.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pausing
hesitating
Verb
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As adults, this pattern can look like hesitating to ask for help, avoiding vulnerability or keeping emotional struggles private, even from those closest to you.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Concerns about the economy and tariffs do have some companies hesitating to make long-term decisions, but even with that concern, more are taking on long-term leases than were a year ago, CBRE found.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pausing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pausing. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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