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
On the call with Fortune, the vibe wasn’t all that different; Ben-Ishay took part of the interview from the passenger seat of a car, at one point pausing to hug and chat with someone while Khetan answered questions.
—
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
At a time when some manufacturers, like Mercedes and BMW, are pausing deployment of their more advanced Level 3 autonomous driving systems, Rivian is going full steam ahead.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 19 Mar. 2026
State media reported steel, textiles and footwear manufacturers are facing rising input prices, while retailers say suppliers are seeking price increases or even pausing deliveries.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Breathing exercises Breathing slowly and evenly can help slow an elevated heart rate, and bring a sense of calm to an agitated state of mind—plus, pausing to practice slow, deep breaths helps kids connect to, and understand, bigger emotions.
—Taylor Grothe, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
After pausing for winter weather, Wisconsin Department of Transportation officials announced that construction will resume on the road, also known as Forest Home Avenue, starting the week of March 16.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Babcock presented slides while speaking, pausing for effect on a wide-angle photo of AAC.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
At the hearing, Lyons did not commit to pausing ICE operations during the tournament when quizzed by Pou.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Elsewhere in the county, the Eagan City Council recently passed a moratorium pausing any further data center development within the city for at least a year.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 5 Mar. 2026
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
At a time when some manufacturers, like Mercedes and BMW, are pausing deployment of their more advanced Level 3 autonomous driving systems, Rivian is going full steam ahead.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 19 Mar. 2026
State media reported steel, textiles and footwear manufacturers are facing rising input prices, while retailers say suppliers are seeking price increases or even pausing deliveries.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Breathing exercises Breathing slowly and evenly can help slow an elevated heart rate, and bring a sense of calm to an agitated state of mind—plus, pausing to practice slow, deep breaths helps kids connect to, and understand, bigger emotions.
—Taylor Grothe, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
After pausing for winter weather, Wisconsin Department of Transportation officials announced that construction will resume on the road, also known as Forest Home Avenue, starting the week of March 16.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Babcock presented slides while speaking, pausing for effect on a wide-angle photo of AAC.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
At the hearing, Lyons did not commit to pausing ICE operations during the tournament when quizzed by Pou.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Elsewhere in the county, the Eagan City Council recently passed a moratorium pausing any further data center development within the city for at least a year.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pausing
hesitating
Verb
-
The Academy seems comfortable celebrating individual excellence within horror while hesitating to crown its films as definitive achievements.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Palmer is the center of the film and building the cast around her initially had Riley hesitating.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pausing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pausing. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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