interruption

noun

in·​ter·​rup·​tion ˌin-tə-ˈrəp-shən 

plural interruptions

1

: an act of interrupting something or someone or the state of being interrupted: such as

a

: a stoppage or hindering of an activity for a time

Our conversation continued without interruption for over an hour.

b

: a break in the continuity of something

Internet service interruptions

2

: something that causes a stoppage or break in the continuity of something

a rude interruption

watching television without commercial interruptions

Synonyms of interruption

• interval
• hiatus
• pause
• gap

Examples of interruption in a Sentence

an interruption in cable service during the lightning storm

a brief interruption in the discussion while we all got coffee

Recent Examples on the Web

Purists don’t care for the interruption in the game’s natural flow, but resistance remains futile as long as FIFA is in charge of ⌘+F’ing its way through the rule book. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026

That’s still a workflow interruption, but less of a nuisance compared to temporarily taking over to sign into accounts. — Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 16 July 2026

Texas floods damage Kerrville water supply The City of Kerrville notified residents of a major water line break on the Arcadia Loop bridge, resulting in a temporary interruption of water service to homes along Arcadia Loop. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 16 July 2026

But the utility said those interruptions and earlier outages this summer were caused by storm damage and equipment failures — not by shortages in electricity supply or efforts to reduce demand on the grid. — Brian Carlton, Baltimore Sun, 16 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interruption

• incorruption
• corruption
• disruption
• eruption
• irruption