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
Relevance
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
There, leadership teams take a time-out to question legacy thinking and ways of relating to each other and their stakeholders.
—
Karyn Gallant, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Tsitsipas, who did not break any rules, also left court to go to the bathroom at the end of the second set and had a medical time-out for treatment on a foot injury before the fourth.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 July 2025
The regulation, which underwent a public comment period in March, updates the definition of time-out and use of seclusion — aiming to keep students safe from a practice advocates say can be traumatic for vulnerable students.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 26 June 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
Karyn Gallant, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Tsitsipas, who did not break any rules, also left court to go to the bathroom at the end of the second set and had a medical time-out for treatment on a foot injury before the fourth.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 July 2025
The regulation, which underwent a public comment period in March, updates the definition of time-out and use of seclusion — aiming to keep students safe from a practice advocates say can be traumatic for vulnerable students.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 26 June 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
-
The New York Mets missed the postseason last year and have some big decisions to make this winter.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Finding the perfect dress to match her winter wedding was important to her to honor the couple’s mountain winter wedding in Sun Valley, Idaho.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
From there, Miami needs a lot of breaks to go its way.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
-
These particles cause defects, like bridges, breaks, or rough edges, that ruin chips.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
That means less downtime, smaller batteries, and lower operating costs.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Alongside Azure, Teams, Outlook, and Microsoft 365, the Store’s downtime is compounding users' frustrations and fueling speculation about what’s really going on.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Trump will use the lull in hostilities to build a secure rare earths supply chain.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Despite the current lull in demand, East-to-West container rates have for the most part sustained their mid-October GRI gains, according to Judah Levine, head of research at Freightos.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
On Friday, two federal judges ruled that this pause is likely unlawful.—
Jennifer Ludden,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Some guests at the Sunday lunch said the pause had not hit them yet — recipients get their benefits at different points in the month, not always on the first day.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The modest pace of hiring, alongside a series of high-profile layoff announcements from major companies, helps explain why consumers remain pessimistic about the labor market.—
Bloomberg News,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
There's a lot of headlines in the news lately about layoffs.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Time-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time-out. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share