PAUSING Synonyms: 24 Similar and Opposite Words

pausing

verb

present participle of pause

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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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 pausing People are drinking less, sales have dropped, there is a glut of whiskey, and major drinks companies are pausing production at some of their distilleries. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2026 So some traders are pausing to re-think how much value Wall Street has been placing on AI — and whether these debt levels are sustainable. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026 Skin fasting means scaling back or temporarily pausing skincare products to let your skin reset and strengthen its natural barrier. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026 But his government partially retreated this year, pausing further increases. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2026 Push your hips back and bend your knees into a squat position, pausing when your thighs are parallel with the ground. — Sarah Stiefvater, Flow Space, 23 Oct. 2026 North Carolina has the lowest gas prices in the United States after pausing the gas tax, but not everyone gassing up their vehicles is happy. — Eva Flowe october 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2026 The Offspring’s co-founding guitarist Noodles is pausing on performing due to a health scare. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 Representative Greg Casar and Senator Bernie Sanders have called for pausing advanced AI development and banning superintelligence. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pausing

hesitating

Verb

With more than seven million people packed into over 9,000 high-rises, efficiency is key here, and people will judge you for holding up lines, hesitating with your Octopus card, or lingering over your dim sum table while others are waiting.

— Lee Cobaj, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
But experts have worried that doctors are hesitating to offer treatment without an ironclad diagnosis, which clinicians say can take time and increase risks to the mother.

— Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026