time-outs

noun

plural of time-out
as in winters
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-outs Both of these non-sung time-outs are astonishingly good. — Chris Willman, Variety, 27 May 2026 Run opposing guards into the ground, step on the gas harder, and force your opponents into spending catch-your-breath time-outs. — Brian Robin, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for time-outs
  1. winters
  2. breaks
  3. lulls
  4. pauses
  5. layoffs
  6. downtimes
  7. interruptions
Noun
  • The wide spread in totals in cities across individual El Niño winters illustrates how El Niño only offers a rough guide to how snowy an individual winter could be.
    — Sam Hart, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The state saw that in 1982-83, when storms amid one of the most destructive El Niño winters in California history battered the coastline with powerful waves and torrential rain, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars in damage in its wake.
    — Gary Griggs, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of winters
Noun
  • The Dodgers in 2024 and 2025 had plenty of breaks, as did the Rangers in 2023 and Astros in 2022.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • For people taking long trips in a car or plane, it is recommended to take frequent movement breaks, stay hydrated and even use compression socks.
    — Ali Ataya, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of breaks
Noun
  • There are no lulls in the storytelling and all the actors are wonderful and hungry and bring the heat.
    — Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Dull spells and lulls will crop up, building like waves, peaking, crashing, then dissipating.
    — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of lulls
Noun
  • Those include scrapping several existing repayment options and doing away with payment pauses for struggling student loan borrowers.
    — Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Jessica Dickler,Sarah Agostino,Greg Iacurci,Lorie Konish,Annie Nova,Sharon Epperson,Stephanie Dhue, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In September 2024, in the middle of combat, Israel agreed to daily nine-hour pauses so that 560,000 Palestinian children could get polio drops.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of pauses
Noun
  • The number of Americans applying for unemployment claims dipped last week to 194,000 — the lowest since mid-July — as layoffs remain low and most Americans enjoy job security.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Budget cuts, layoffs, and bureaucratic red tape could all conspire to make your life more difficult.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of layoffs
Noun
  • These trends often materialize in batch changeovers, supplier changes, line downtimes and traceability challenges.
    — Ihor Yurchenko, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The average response time for phone calls dropped to 6 minutes from 30 minutes in the prior fiscal year; field office wait times decreased to 23 minutes; and removal of online service downtimes has benefited an additional 125,000 users in a single week, according to the agency's findings.
    — Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Definition of downtimes
Noun
  • An experimental obesity drug significantly reduced breathing interruptions and other symptoms of obstructive sleep disorder in two clinical trials, according to new research published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
    — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Pediatricians can help families navigate these decisions and guide them on how to continue living healthy lives with minimal interruptions during a measles outbreak.
    — Katie Lockwood, STAT, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of interruptions

Browse Nearby Words

time-out
time-outs
timepiece
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Cite this Entry

“Time-outs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time-outs. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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