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
Here, cops can decompress after a stressful event or take a brief time-out during a draining shift.
—
Katja Ridderbusch, NPR, 26 May 2025
The child who broke the toy would likely be yelled at and sent to time-out by the authoritarian parent without much conversation beyond that.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 22 May 2025
Spock advised parents against scolding children, threatening them, punishing them, giving them time-outs, or shooting them cross looks.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 5 May 2025
In any other circumstance, I would have been flustered, embarrassed, and ready to drag her out of there and straight into a time-out.
—Staff Author, Parents, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for time-out
Katja Ridderbusch, NPR, 26 May 2025
The child who broke the toy would likely be yelled at and sent to time-out by the authoritarian parent without much conversation beyond that.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 22 May 2025
Spock advised parents against scolding children, threatening them, punishing them, giving them time-outs, or shooting them cross looks.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 5 May 2025
In any other circumstance, I would have been flustered, embarrassed, and ready to drag her out of there and straight into a time-out.
—Staff Author, Parents, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for time-out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for time-out
Noun
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American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, and United Airlines will still to serve Tulum, but with thousands fewer seats over the course of this winter compared to winter 2024-2025.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
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Maniar said the votes are especially critical heading into the fall and winter season, when diseases, particularly respiratory viruses like Covid, spread more easily.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
So while cells in a younger person (that were continuously exposed to estrogen prior to HRT) might benefit from a fresh influx of estrogen, ones that had a break from that estrogen bath might react negatively to it.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
15 Sep. 2025
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Midday daylight breaks help sustain energy, while dim, warmer light in the evening primes the mind for recovery.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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On the plus side, accidents are less likely to happen when safety rules are clear, which cuts down on downtime and hospital costs.—
Edward Segal,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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For Coon, the downtime was especially welcome after years of nonstop work.—
Avalon Hester,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The lull during the 2024 season was attributed in part to a jet of winds over Africa that were pushing northward and not following the typical track off the coast, Kelly Núñez Ocasio, assistant professor in the atmospheric sciences department at Texas A&M University, previously told USA TODAY.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
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During the rare lull in service, McPherson watches over this scene from the bar, catching up with longtime customers and friends from the neighborhood.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The pause will last three years and could save restaurants $850 in fees annually while potentially boosting their sales.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
15 Sep. 2025
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People hear your tone, your pauses, your personality.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Bureau staff were told the group itself, already gutted as part of mass layoffs at the State Department in July, would refocus on migration diplomacy and disaster response rather than its traditional refugee focus.—
Ted Hesson,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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And while the President's budget has yet to be signed into law, protest leaders point to layoffs already underway, active spacecraft marked for premature decommission and projects halted midstream as evidence that real damage is already underway.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Time-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time-out. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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