1
as in ceasing
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the manufacturer will stop selling the toy and will immediately recall all the units that have already been sold
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stalling
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was stopped for over an hour by the overturned truck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in filling
to close up so that no empty spaces remain
I stopped the mouse hole with plaster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in ending
to come to an end
the music stopped but we kept on dancing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in defeating
to achieve a victory over
they were eventually stopped by the best team in the league
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in passing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in halting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 stopping
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Popular stopping points include the viewpoint of Rowena Crest and Multnomah Falls, a 620-foot waterfall framed by red and gold foliage.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2025
The United Nations issued a statement about the mishap, saying that the elevator stopping might have been triggered for safety as a videographer was standing backwards ahead of the president trying to film him.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025
The charge can then keep looping around and around, without reaching a stopping point.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2025
The run and the risks Race engineer Alessandro Tedino warned the attempt would be unsafe if the deck remained wet, citing the need for both maximum traction and peak braking over a very short stopping distance.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2025
Raya’s early struggles come through in how his shot-stopping has trended over his time at Arsenal.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The National Weather Service advises slowing down and using low beam headlights if driving in dense fog as well as allowing for extra stopping distance between vehicles.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Dormitories served as a stopping point on a journey to America for between 500,000 and 1 million would-be immigrants.
—Don Sproul, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Nihi has 25 of Sumba’s beloved sandalwood horses, released from their stable once a day to run free through the shallows, stopping to roll around in the sand and nip at each other.
—Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Goggins is in the midst of a zenith year that shows no signs of stopping.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins was out of his mind in the first period, stopping several golden scoring chances by the Avs.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Y’all not stopping no bags over here.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2025
Sundown brings out those pastel purples and pinks, stopping everyone in their tracks for a photo or a moment of reflection.
—Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
The study also found that starting and stopping certain medications — particularly PPIs, SSRIs and some antibiotics — could cause microbiome shifts.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Right Now Reducing and eventually stopping sugar cravings can take time.
—Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The Buffalo Bills have been a team that has struggled with run-stopping, and their game against the Atlanta Falcons might be more of the same.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Popular stopping points include the viewpoint of Rowena Crest and Multnomah Falls, a 620-foot waterfall framed by red and gold foliage.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2025
The United Nations issued a statement about the mishap, saying that the elevator stopping might have been triggered for safety as a videographer was standing backwards ahead of the president trying to film him.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025
The charge can then keep looping around and around, without reaching a stopping point.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2025
The run and the risks Race engineer Alessandro Tedino warned the attempt would be unsafe if the deck remained wet, citing the need for both maximum traction and peak braking over a very short stopping distance.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2025
Raya’s early struggles come through in how his shot-stopping has trended over his time at Arsenal.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The National Weather Service advises slowing down and using low beam headlights if driving in dense fog as well as allowing for extra stopping distance between vehicles.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Dormitories served as a stopping point on a journey to America for between 500,000 and 1 million would-be immigrants.
—Don Sproul, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
The metro Detroit rallies have advocated for causes including stopping immigration crackdowns, stopping authoritarianism, health care, maintaining a positive relationship with Canada amid tariffs, declaring Detroit a sanctuary city, stopping deaths in Gaza and more.
—Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Nihi has 25 of Sumba’s beloved sandalwood horses, released from their stable once a day to run free through the shallows, stopping to roll around in the sand and nip at each other.
—Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Goggins is in the midst of a zenith year that shows no signs of stopping.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins was out of his mind in the first period, stopping several golden scoring chances by the Avs.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Y’all not stopping no bags over here.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2025
Sundown brings out those pastel purples and pinks, stopping everyone in their tracks for a photo or a moment of reflection.
—Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
The study also found that starting and stopping certain medications — particularly PPIs, SSRIs and some antibiotics — could cause microbiome shifts.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Right Now Reducing and eventually stopping sugar cravings can take time.
—Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stopping
Verb
-
Phil Rinn was among those who felt the momentum needed to continue through a general strike, halting the flow of work and consumerism until substantial changes were made.—
Stephanie Murray,
AZCentral.com,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The plaintiffs in the New York suit seek a declaration that the surveillance program is unconstitutional, an injunction halting its operation, and an order requiring the government to purge any records derived from online monitoring.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The odds of a prolonged federal government shutdown stretching into mid-November have jumped as negotiations to pass a funding bill continue stalling in the Senate, according to Polymarket betting odds.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Attempts to add more stringent enforcement requirements, however, keep stalling in the Legislature.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Select a large pot with drainage holes, filling it with high-quality potting soil.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
-
More workers filling more jobs and spending more money has also helped drive economic growth and create still-more job openings.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Still, ending the war always required that Hamas agree to a deal—perhaps an ugly one, certainly an imperfect one, but one that would bring a stop to the killing.—
Mohammed R. Mhawish,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
-
After Voodoo, D’Angelo went over a decade without releasing music, finally ending that long hiatus at the end of 2014 with Black Messiah.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Mariners reached this year’s ALCS off the back of the longest winner-takes-all playoff game in MLB history on Friday, dramatically defeating the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in a four-hour, 58-minute contest.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Alabama continued its rebound from a Week 1 loss by defeating Missouri.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
La’Vell Wright leads the ground game with 203 yards and five scores, while Matthew Henry is the big-play threat in the passing game with 21 catches, 377 yards, and three TDs.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The offensive passing game benefited with play-action fakes.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
What To Know The protest began in the South Waterfront area, where activists calling for the abolition of ICE and denouncing recent federal actions have held near-nightly demonstrations since the summer.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The recent abolition of these tariffs comes as the country has shifted from exporting more cotton to importing more fiber.—
Sarah Jones,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The announcement also follows low-cost Icelandic carrier Play Airlines decision to fold, ceasing operations and canceling all remaining flights.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The exchange is seen as a possible breakthrough in ceasing hostilities and bringing the war to an end.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stopping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stopping. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share