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stop

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noun

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as in break
a brief halt in a journey our guide called for a stop at the trail hut so we could eat and rest a bit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in station
a regular stopping place had lunch on a picnic table at a shady rest stop along the highway

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word stop distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of stop are cease, desist, discontinue, and quit. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.

stopped at the red light

In what contexts can cease take the place of stop?

While in some cases nearly identical to stop, cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality.

by nightfall the fighting had ceased

When can desist be used instead of stop?

In some situations, the words desist and stop are roughly equivalent. However, desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

When could discontinue be used to replace stop?

The meanings of discontinue and stop largely overlap; however, discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When is quit a more appropriate choice than stop?

Although the words quit and stop have much in common, quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

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 stop
Verb
Under Zito’s direction, the Panthers have turned into consistent winners and are showing no signs of stopping with the majority of the team’s core inked to long-term deals. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 June 2025 California lawmakers are looking to stop local police officers and federal agents from wearing face masks or coverings while carrying out operations in the state. Billal Rahman dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
Noun
Treadwell was an ardent abolitionist who made his property a stop on the Underground Railroad. James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2025 This marquee event is a key stop on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series calendar and always delivers the action. Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for stop
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stop
Verb
  • When the questioning ceased, committee Chair Rep. Doug Miller R-Elkhart, thanked the fruitful advocates for their time.
    Anna Cecil, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
  • The order instructs the testing facility to cease operations as of July 4, and gives them 21 days to request for a hearing over the commission’s action.
    Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • Environmental concerns about the airport’s impact on the Everglades halted plans to develop the facility further in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
  • That plan would halt roughly $522 billion in investments, many of which are based in red states.
    Elena Moore, NPR, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • This winter, a Roman grave filled with gypsum was found during a highway construction project in England.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
  • The Dukes of Hazzard ran for seven seasons on CBS, wrapping up in 1985 after 147 episodes filled with moonshine mischief and good-old-boy adventures.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • States would be responsible for them, and — miracle of miracles — state and federal agencies actually agreed on how to manage grizzlies after ESA protections end.
    Christine Peterson, Vox, 27 June 2025
  • Episodes ended by dangling game rules and character deaths, beguiling us to keep watching.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • There can be ways to overcome the objections of the people who are concerned that new technology will make their jobs obsolete.
    Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
  • Meanwhile, a college in the U.K. has now stepped up and started offering classes on making and taking phone calls to help Gen Z overcome this fear.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • Quiet and largely seasonably pleasant weather will settle across the Kansas City area on Tuesday, giving the metro a break from the heat and storms of the past few days, according to the National Weather Service.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2025
  • But hosting a dinner party for your family-money-wealthy English boyfriend and his colleagues during a heatwave when the fridge breaks, alcohol flows, and an unexpected guest shows up?
    Literary Hub July 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • Buc-ee’s has pitched building 120 gas pumps and 12 charging stations for electric vehicles on the property.
    Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2025
  • The property has four gas pumps and two electric vehicle charging stations.
    Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • These shifts signal a recognition that regulation is not an obstacle to progress but a critical enabler of responsible, adaptive innovation - especially when physically embedded in place.
    Kath Mackay, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • Despite the obstacles, authorities from at least seven neighboring counties have followed countless tips in their hunt for Decker, with some leads running hot.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stop. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on stop

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