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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
  • Seven of the health facilities that Save the Children had supported in the region have fully closed, and 20 more have partly ceased operations.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 June 2025
  • Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei himself is thought to be operating from an underground bunker and has ceased communicating electronically, delaying his ability to guide the rest of the regime’s leaders.
    Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 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
  • Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly recently suggested the Yankees could swing a trade for Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez to fill the massive hole at third base in the Bronx.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
  • Send three thoughtful messages daily and watch your pipeline fill with warm leads.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 23 June 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
  • After a logistical snafu ends their initial meeting about Agnes’ thesis, Decker makes the casual suggestion that the makeup session be at his house near campus.
    Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement Indiana tried its best to overcome heartbreak in Game 7: Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star point guard who was playing with a calf strain in his right leg, suffered an achilles injury in the first quarter.
    Sean Gregory, Time, 23 June 2025
  • The Thunder overcame two Game 7s en route to the title, and they will now forever be called champions.
    Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • Elsewhere, a late summer to late spring schedule is the norm—though several European leagues require multi-week winter breaks to avoid the worst temperatures.
    Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
  • 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
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 7 Jul. 2025.

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