Definition of time-outnext
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

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 time-out The structured time-out catches the escalation window before the body takes over. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 The move, effectively a brief legal time-out, will allow an appeals court panel time to consider equities on both sides of the dispute before considering whether or not to invalidate the tariffs while litigation continues. Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 12 May 2026 That’s with two new coaches in the league, including one new coach who never called a time-out. Brian Robin, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026 You might be caught up trying to nurture someone (or something) while secretly needing a time-out for yourself. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for time-out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for time-out
Noun
  • Mestemaker, one of the top QBs in the portal last winter, threw two picks, and Oklahoma State went 2 of 6 on fourth downs.
    The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Myrtle warblers in the northeast are known to winter along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, but where northwestern populations migrate has been more of a mystery.
    Stephanie Szarmach, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • McTominay will miss the extended international break that stretches from late September into early October.
    Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Even families tied to school calendars are increasingly taking advantage of short school breaks spread throughout the year, according to Jo-Anne Redwood, a travel adviser in southern California with Luna World Travel, which is a Virtuoso member.
    Marnie Hunter, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Can the current infrastructure scale horizontally without downtime when agent workloads spike?
    Gopi Duddi, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • While working at a New York City hedge fund, Marchitelli started an Instagram account in his downtime by posting (mostly headless) images of himself in a variety of custom suits.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The lull in launches means fewer customer payments and lower revenue.
    Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Dull spells and lulls will crop up, building like waves, peaking, crashing, then dissipating.
    Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • But when evaluating this team, certain positions give you pause.
    Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Virgo August 23 – September 22 Your body may be asking for a pause while your schedule keeps making demands.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Then Alcaraz went away for about two sets, as any ordinary player coming back from such a layoff might have done many rounds earlier against a far less accomplished player.
    James Hansen, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The layoffs were part of a larger cost-cutting effort at Microsoft, which is laying off about 2% of its workforce in total.
    Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Time-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time-out. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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