as in winter
a period of often involuntary inactivity or idleness
we need to take a time-out from our relationship to think things over
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of time-out
With the duel tied at 88-88, the Aces called time-out with five seconds left.
—
Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Dec. 2025
What all those albums had in common was how those artists offered at least occasional time-outs from the trauma.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Oct. 2025
In addition, Invincible VS has a cool way to prevent time-outs and keep its aggressive play going: Sudden Death.
—PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2025
An authoritarian might glare sternly and immediately move to a time-out or spanking or to send their child to bed hungry.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for time-out
Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Dec. 2025
What all those albums had in common was how those artists offered at least occasional time-outs from the trauma.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Oct. 2025
In addition, Invincible VS has a cool way to prevent time-outs and keep its aggressive play going: Sudden Death.
—PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2025
An authoritarian might glare sternly and immediately move to a time-out or spanking or to send their child to bed hungry.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for time-out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for time-out
Noun
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Japan is considered one of Asia’s top snow sports destinations due to its powder snow, which attracts a large number of foreign tourists each winter.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
2 Feb. 2026
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Groundhog Day is rooted in the Christian holiday Candlemas, the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When down 0-40 in the third game of the match after an exchange of breaks, Rybakina was able to serve her way out of trouble, helped by a first of 11 aces.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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But the Wolves shot 65% from the field in the second quarter to lead by 15 at the break and never looked back, building a lead of as many as 32 points.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The nature of emergency medicine involves moving quickly and efficiently from patient to patient, often with little-to-no breaks or no emotional downtime.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
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The Cancer moon invites you to sink into restorative downtime to recharge your batteries.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The game hit a bit of an offensive lull as foul trouble sent UConn’s starters to the bench.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
1 Feb. 2026
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Signaling sustained and robust demand for fine jewelry amid a wider luxury lull, a Bulgari brooch once owned by Audrey Hepburn sold for 355,600 euros, or about $425,000, at a Sotheby’s auction in Paris, nearly six times its high estimate following fierce bidding among four would-be buyers.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The White House didn't immediately respond to a query seeking clarity about the scope and timing of any limited pause.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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As the officers back away from Pretti, there’s a pause in shooting that lasts just under a second, according to an analysis of the shooting audio by Robert Maher, an audio forensic expert at Montana State University.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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With the most recent round of layoffs at Meta, plenty of online commenters have been rushing to declare virtual reality and the metaverse dead.—
Cortney Harding,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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With widespread layoffs expected at The Washington Post in the coming weeks, teams of reporters are sending impassioned letters to owner Jeff Bezos, urging him not to shrink the newsroom.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Time-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time-out. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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