doorstop

noun

door·​stop ˈdȯr-ˌstäp How to pronounce doorstop (audio)
1
: a usually rubber-tipped device attached to a wall or floor to prevent damaging contact between an opened door and the wall
2
: a device (such as a wedge or weight) for holding a door open

Examples of doorstop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The author, who has previously written doorstop accounts of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin, tells the band’s story in full. The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 May 2026 Pull up a chair and order a plate of crispy fried chicken, followed by a doorstop of red velvet cake. Zoey Goto, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026 Her first appearance on the Norman Lear classic was as Marilyn Sanders, a woman who shows up, young child in tow, on the Bunker family’s doorstop claiming that the little boy was fathered by Gloria’s husband Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner). Greg Evans, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026 To many folks, fruitcake has all the appeal of a doorstop. Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for doorstop

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of doorstop was in 1878

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Doorstop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doorstop. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on doorstop

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster