pit stop
noun
1
: a stop at the pits during an automobile race
2
a(1)
: a stop (as during a trip) for fuel, food, or rest or for use of a restroom
(2)
: a temporary deviation from a direct or usual course
… a career pit stop … where he worked temporarily in between TV jobs …—
Mark Lorando
Mark Lorando
b(1)
: a place where a pit stop is or can be made
(2)
: an establishment providing food or drink
Examples of pit stop in a Sentence
We made a pit stop for some food before getting back on the highway.
This little town is an ideal pit stop between the two cities.
Recent Examples on the Web
There are dozens of picturesque villages punctuating the landscapes in and around the mountains, making plentiful pit stops a must on your journey through the Dolomites.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Kate Middleton had two official stops on Tuesday—at Melin Tregwynt and then at Hiut Denim—while also making a couple of other meaningful pit stops during her away day.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 4 Feb. 2026
But while leading with three laps to go, a caution erased his advantage and Kyle Larson jumped ahead of him during a sequence of pit stops and a restart to win the championship instead.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Drone technology is being credited with helping find a lost dog that escaped from a car during a pit stop last weekend on the New Jersey Turnpike and traveled more than 20 miles.
—Nick Caloway, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pit stop
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.
Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Kate Middleton had two official stops on Tuesday—at Melin Tregwynt and then at Hiut Denim—while also making a couple of other meaningful pit stops during her away day.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 4 Feb. 2026
But while leading with three laps to go, a caution erased his advantage and Kyle Larson jumped ahead of him during a sequence of pit stops and a restart to win the championship instead.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Drone technology is being credited with helping find a lost dog that escaped from a car during a pit stop last weekend on the New Jersey Turnpike and traveled more than 20 miles.
—Nick Caloway, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pit stop
Cite this Entry
“Pit stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pit%20stop. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
