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.
Federal Bureau of Investigation San Antonio Lang was arrested and booked into the Hays County Jail on May 14 following a traffic stop on I-35 near New Braunfels, Texas. Christa Swanson, CBS News, 18 May 2026 Two suspects -- a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old -- were apprehended at a traffic stop Sunday afternoon and were taken to a juvenile detention center, police said. Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 17 May 2026 Authorities said Victor Pena, 42, of Cornelia, and Kristen Sloan, 33, of Maysville, were arrested after deputies allegedly discovered methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026 The officers conducting a traffic stop with emergency lights flashing and the passing vehicle failed to move over, police said. Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026 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 20 May. 2026.

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