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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Bellinger, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs for Cody Poteet last winter, has been one of general manager Brian Cashman’s best acquisitions.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Hardy cyclamen is a perennial, which blooms in late summer to autumn with the leaves remaining evergreen throughout the winter.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The struggling Dolphins appear to at least be getting a break on bad weather.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
28 Sep. 2025
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Back in early 2023, the star explained why one of those breaks was longer than normal.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The downtime will mean a temporary reduction in staffing levels of about 700 employees at the plant being laid off.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
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Starting Friday, there will be no poolside downtime at Bethpage Black, an angry and outsized beast of a public golf course.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Forecasters say the lull in storm activity was caused by wind shear as well as dry and dusty air.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
22 Sep. 2025
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Some schools might fall into a lull after such a moment.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Their words will have bolstered his belief, giving him the confidence to show for and collect the ball again in the defensive third just after the break, using a combination of touches and pauses to evade Brentford pressure before making a more assured sideways pass this time.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
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The chair also called for a pause on minimum wage hikes, noting that garments remain a labor-intensive sector employing 600,000 to 800,000 workers.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Fresh data revealed jobless claims far under expectations — suggesting layoffs remain limited and the labor market is holding firm despite Fed worries.—
Benzinga,
Freep.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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The closures – and layoffs of 900 corporate employees – are part of a $1 billion restructuring plan.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Time-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time-out. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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