traffic stop

noun

plural traffic stops
: an instance of police stopping a driver (as for speeding or a broken taillight)
She was pulled over for a routine traffic stop.
an officer making a traffic stop

Examples of traffic stop 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.
Police say officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop when the vehicle kept going, prompting a police chase. Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 24 Dec. 2025 Surveillance footage led detectives to Guerrero, who was detained several days later after a traffic stop by the Kansas Highway Patrol and Johnson County sheriff’s deputies. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 23 Dec. 2025 The state trooper was driving House Speaker Cameron Sexton at the time of the traffic stop. Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Dec. 2025 Last month, West Bridgewater Police conducted a traffic stop on North Main Street for a red-light violation. Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 23 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for traffic stop

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of traffic stop was in 1953

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Traffic stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic%20stop. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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