1
as in ceases
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 halts
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 fills
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 ends
to come to an end
the music stopped but we kept on dancing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in overcomes
to achieve a victory over
they were eventually stopped by the best team in the league
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in stations
a regular stopping place
had lunch on a picnic table at a shady rest stop along the highway
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in obstacles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
pulled out all the stops and presented the most spectacular show ever
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in cessations
the stopping of a process or activity
put a stop to this nonsense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 stops
Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
The fun on 404 Day stops with Atlanta United.
—Amna Subhan, AJC.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Even if the fighting stops, the disruption may persist.
—Gerry Doyle, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
Last week, federal judge Richard Leon issued a preliminary injunction that stops ballroom construction on April 14th.
—Arden Farhi, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Zendaya stops to greet fans outside of Good Morning America in New York City on April 1.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026
From Fayetteville gymnasiums to professional courts in Rwanda, Canada and now China — and soon back to a Charlotte stage — Cole continues to remind North Carolinians that one of their own never stops reaching.
—Ryan Brennan
april 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2026
Hair shedding is when hair falls out, while hair loss is when hair stops growing properly.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The perfect partner for the Spray-To-Wipe is the new All Over Deodorant, a whole-body natural deodorant that genuinely stops you from smelling.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
The cars run up and down Coast Highway with plenty of convenient stops at major points of interest.
—Acacia Gabriel, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
Savor the jaunt through Los Rosales—make stops at the Temple of Debod (an Egyptian temple dating back to the 2nd century BC) and the Royal Palace (the largest of its kind in Europe), with unbeatable views of the mountains and centuries of history all around you.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
Boston scored on five of its next seven possessions — including two more 3-pointers by the red-hot Scheierman, who went 6-for-7 from deep — but could not manufacture enough stops at the other end.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
The stops sparked widespread protests in California and many people criticized them, saying they were based on racial profiling.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
On Sunday, stops were hard to come by with Flagg scoring almost at will (14 for 27 from the field, 15 for 17 at the free-throw line), and the Lakers’ responses never nudged the needle in their favor.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026
Illinois came up with defensive stops but couldn’t build a bigger lead in the half, missing seven of its next eight shots.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Several major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Holland America, have scheduled stops there, the podcast said.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
The legislation also stops courts from considering religious codes, including Islamic Sharia law, in legal cases.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
The fun on 404 Day stops with Atlanta United.
—Amna Subhan, AJC.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Even if the fighting stops, the disruption may persist.
—Gerry Doyle, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
Last week, federal judge Richard Leon issued a preliminary injunction that stops ballroom construction on April 14th.
—Arden Farhi, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Zendaya stops to greet fans outside of Good Morning America in New York City on April 1.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026
From Fayetteville gymnasiums to professional courts in Rwanda, Canada and now China — and soon back to a Charlotte stage — Cole continues to remind North Carolinians that one of their own never stops reaching.
—Ryan Brennan
april 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2026
Hair shedding is when hair falls out, while hair loss is when hair stops growing properly.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The perfect partner for the Spray-To-Wipe is the new All Over Deodorant, a whole-body natural deodorant that genuinely stops you from smelling.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
Among his stops was a key glove save on MacKenzie Weegar when the former Flames defenseman broke in from the blue line all alone.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
The cars run up and down Coast Highway with plenty of convenient stops at major points of interest.
—Acacia Gabriel, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
Savor the jaunt through Los Rosales—make stops at the Temple of Debod (an Egyptian temple dating back to the 2nd century BC) and the Royal Palace (the largest of its kind in Europe), with unbeatable views of the mountains and centuries of history all around you.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
Boston scored on five of its next seven possessions — including two more 3-pointers by the red-hot Scheierman, who went 6-for-7 from deep — but could not manufacture enough stops at the other end.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
The stops sparked widespread protests in California and many people criticized them, saying they were based on racial profiling.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
On Sunday, stops were hard to come by with Flagg scoring almost at will (14 for 27 from the field, 15 for 17 at the free-throw line), and the Lakers’ responses never nudged the needle in their favor.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026
Illinois came up with defensive stops but couldn’t build a bigger lead in the half, missing seven of its next eight shots.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Several major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Holland America, have scheduled stops there, the podcast said.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stops
Verb
-
Officials discussed both diplomatic and economic measures their countries could implement now and after the fighting ceases to help secure the shipping route, according to NPR's Fatima Al-Kassab.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In a different scenario, assigned a probability of 60%, the conflict ceases at the end of this month and oil prices fall quickly.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy triggers an automatic stay, which immediately halts most collection actions, including garnishment.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
And even if Israel halts its strikes on Iran, there’s no guarantee Tehran will reciprocate.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Breakfast and lunch are reserved for hotel guests and club members, while dinner is open to all (and fills up fast so book a table in advance).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Bryant said that's where faith, for many, fills a gap.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Willy drives it onstage through a giant door at the start and ends his life therein.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Because the tournament is built around ritual and tradition, Marty Smith always starts and ends his Masters the same way.—
Rick Maese,
Washington Post,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This overcomes a key limitation in the field, and could help improve technologies that use sunlight to produce clean fuels and chemicals.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Leo consistently overcomes challenges such as low light, rapid movement, and split second moments to produce sharp, compelling images.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When the news breaks of faraway civilian casualties — an erroneous air strike on a school that relied on outdated intelligence, for example — the mind takes refuge in abstractions and statistics.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
-
By the Sea also deducted pay for meal breaks even if the workers didn’t take a meal break.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Apr. 2026
-
For instance, portraits of Kim II Sung, the founder and supreme leader of North Korea, and Kim Jong Il, the father of current leader Kim Jong Un, are mandatory in public places like train stations, hospitals, schools and factories.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The obstacles to a clean reauthorization appear most daunting in the House, where a number of Democrats and Republicans are insisting on changes, including one that would require a warrant before using the tool.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Those are usually the two biggest obstacles.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stops.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stops. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
