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stop

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noun

1
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

2
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
Before the final push by Bell that ended in the interception, the Blue Raiders’ defense made a stop at their own 10-yard line when linebacker Asher Saintelus was able to stop the powerful plunge by Sela. Pat Wheeler, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2025 Charlotte forced two fumbles in the first half, with defensive linemen Caleb Irving and linebacker Reid Williford punching the ball out to stop the bleeding early in the action. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
Senate Bill 79 will largely force cities to allow projects on properties within one-half mile of transit stops, even on land that is zoned for commercial or mixed use. Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2025 Ultimately, del Toro wishes to see the stop motion studio building future bridges between European and Latin American creators. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stop
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stop
Verb
  • The humble soybean has become a flashpoint in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies after Beijing ceased all purchases from the US.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Guests who fail to comply will be asked to cease smoking.
    Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The funding pause leaves many new homeowners in high-flood risk areas scrambling for protection and could halt the processing of current damage claims.
    Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Before referrals were halted, the effort that placed people at the Civic had already moved hard-to-reach homeless people from the street to a shelter space and, in many cases, then on to long-term housing and stability.
    Ashley Hiruko, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The historic gems that fill his Paris home are enough; his appetite is sated.
    Jazmine Hughes, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Six years later, he was assigned to be a pastor at a church in Bay Ridge, where the pews, once occupied by Norwegian immigrants, were filling up with Arab Christians, many of them Palestinian exiles.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Get skillets, Dutch ovens, cake pans, and more before the sale ends.
    Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 9 Oct. 2025
  • All federal employees who are not paid during the shutdown, whether they were furloughed or remained working, are entitled by law to back pay once the shutdown ends.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Rough Riders overcame a furious Arlington Heights rally in the third quarter and used a late goal-line stand to shock the Yellow Jackets in a 50-47 thriller.
    Updated October 10, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Johnson’s familiarity is key to bringing audiences close to Kerr and helps the film overcome its potentially alienating storyline.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Shore break occurs when waves break directly on the beach.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The center will be open during Alverno's summer and winter breaks and fees will still apply, Steiner said.
    Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Pérez said medical workers who visited the station learned about her daughter’s condition and connected the family to a hospital charity care program.
    Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The engineers at this station invite me to push a robot to the floor.
    Billy Perrigo, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This small but mighty cleaner has dual side brushes, multiple cleaning modes, and obstacle-avoidance technology.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Yet despite these obstacles, Pita’s voice has only grown louder, emerging as a leading figure in the global conversation on democracy and reform.
    Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stop. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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