1
: a temporary stop
2
a
: a break in a verse
b
: a brief suspension of the voice to indicate the limits and relations of sentences and their parts
3
: temporary inaction especially as caused by uncertainty : hesitation
4
a
: the sign denoting a fermata
b
: a mark (such as a period or comma) used in writing or printing to indicate or correspond to a pause of voice
5
: a reason or cause for pausing (as to reconsider)
a thought that should give one pause
6
: a function of an electronic device that pauses a recording
Synonyms
Examples of pause in a Sentence
Noun
There was a brief pause in the conversation.
After a pause the teacher continued the lesson.
He hit pause on the player and explained the significance of the song's lyrics.
Please hit the pause button on the remote control.
Verb
She paused for a few seconds before crossing the street.
We paused briefly to look at the scenery.
He talked for over an hour without pausing.
He picked up the remote control and paused the movie.
Recent Examples on the Web
Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2025
On Friday, a judge prevented the Trump administration from placing 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development, known as USAID, on administrative leave, after a pause on all new U.S. foreign assistance programs funded by the State Department and USAID the week prior.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2025
Miranda Jeyaretnam, TIME, 10 Feb. 2025
And so pausing any of that is a big shock to the system.
—ABC News, 9 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pause 
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.
Noun
Not done yet Martin Truex Jr. has put his retirement on pause for another shot at the Daytona 500.
—Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2025
On Friday, a judge prevented the Trump administration from placing 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development, known as USAID, on administrative leave, after a pause on all new U.S. foreign assistance programs funded by the State Department and USAID the week prior.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2025
Verb
The game, attended by President Donald Trump, took place amid a weekslong ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, pausing the war in Gaza that has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, TIME, 10 Feb. 2025
And so pausing any of that is a big shock to the system.
—ABC News, 9 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pause
Articles Related to pause
Dictionary Entries Near pause
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pause. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pause
1 of 2 noun1
: a temporary stop or rest
2
: the sign {fermata} placed over or under a musical note, chord, or rest to show that it is to be held longer than usual
3
: a reason for pausing
a thought that should give pause
pause
2 of 2 verb
paused; pausing
1
: to stop temporarily
2
: to linger for a time
pause on a high note
Etymology
Noun
Middle English pause "a temporary stop, pause," from Latin pausa "a pause" — related to repose entry 1
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share