1
as in stops
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was halted by the parade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ceases
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the private eye abruptly halted his surveillance of the building upon being spotted by his subject
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ends
to come to an end
all filming halted when the star of the movie quit in a huff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in limps
to walk while favoring one leg
even with her twisted ankle, she managed to halt along and complete her Walk for Peace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitates
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
she was often confused, halting between the responsibilities of her job and the demands of her home life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in jams
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
negotiations are at a halt, with neither management nor the union budging on the issue of salary limits
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in cessations
the stopping of a process or activity
gardening came to a halt during the week of solid rain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of halts
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
25 June 2026
But the publishing machine never quite halts, and the coming months do star a (smaller) collection of exciting new releases.
—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
25 June 2026
This single point of failure was enough to trigger delays, halts and, in some cases, outright business failures.
—
Justin Hertzberg,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
The findings do not definitively prove that birding halts cognitive decline, but the evidence is promising.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
18 June 2026
The framework halts the fighting, reopens the Strait of Hormuz and moves the countries closer to an agreement that could result in Iran turning over its enriched uranium.
—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
The late-night order halts what would have been the nation’s ninth nitrogen execution, a rare reprieve in a state where recent nitrogen deaths involved shaking, gasping and prolonged suffering.
—
Kim Chandler,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Filing for bankruptcy can trigger an automatic stay that generally halts most collection actions, including lawsuits, garnishments and bank levies, while the case is being processed.
—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
This halts the cooking process, preventing mushy, overcooked pasta, and removes the excess starch, which would otherwise cause the noodles to stick together.
—
Martha Stewart,
11 June 2026
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
Since prolonged production halts can cause permanent damage to oil wells, shutting them down is typically a last resort.
—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
In practice the printer ran for about 3 months (including setup and halts), whereas a traditional cast bridge might have taken 3–4 times longer.
—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Former leaders warn that the loss of institutional knowledge, combined with halts to the incoming pipeline of public health workers, may lead to a long-term crisis.
—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Automotive industry analysts are forecasting that another microchip shortage could hit in the coming months, which could increase risks for production halts as costs skyrocket.
—
Breana Noble,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Nerves of an energy crisis intensified over the weekend as oil producers in the Gulf announced further halts to production, with Bahrain’s national oil company declaring force majeure.
—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
The abrupt disruption resulted in chip shortages and production halts at several automakers.
—
Sarah Jacob,
Bloomberg,
14 Jan. 2026
Conflict in Yemen has prompted air traffic halts — leaving about 600 tourists stranded on a remote island.
—
Ashley J. Dimella,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
The countywide legislation halts zoning and permitting processes for data centers and BESS sites in unincorporated areas of Jackson County for 180 days, which sponsor Sean Smith and other legislators have said will create time for the county to set more detailed permanent land use policies.
—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
25 June 2026
But the publishing machine never quite halts, and the coming months do star a (smaller) collection of exciting new releases.
—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
25 June 2026
This single point of failure was enough to trigger delays, halts and, in some cases, outright business failures.
—
Justin Hertzberg,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
The findings do not definitively prove that birding halts cognitive decline, but the evidence is promising.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
18 June 2026
The framework halts the fighting, reopens the Strait of Hormuz and moves the countries closer to an agreement that could result in Iran turning over its enriched uranium.
—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
The late-night order halts what would have been the nation’s ninth nitrogen execution, a rare reprieve in a state where recent nitrogen deaths involved shaking, gasping and prolonged suffering.
—
Kim Chandler,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Filing for bankruptcy can trigger an automatic stay that generally halts most collection actions, including lawsuits, garnishments and bank levies, while the case is being processed.
—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
This halts the cooking process, preventing mushy, overcooked pasta, and removes the excess starch, which would otherwise cause the noodles to stick together.
—
Martha Stewart,
11 June 2026
Noun
The automatic stay halts proceedings but doesn't compel creditors to undo pre-petition filings without operative effect.
—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
Since prolonged production halts can cause permanent damage to oil wells, shutting them down is typically a last resort.
—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
In practice the printer ran for about 3 months (including setup and halts), whereas a traditional cast bridge might have taken 3–4 times longer.
—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Former leaders warn that the loss of institutional knowledge, combined with halts to the incoming pipeline of public health workers, may lead to a long-term crisis.
—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Automotive industry analysts are forecasting that another microchip shortage could hit in the coming months, which could increase risks for production halts as costs skyrocket.
—
Breana Noble,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Nerves of an energy crisis intensified over the weekend as oil producers in the Gulf announced further halts to production, with Bahrain’s national oil company declaring force majeure.
—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
The abrupt disruption resulted in chip shortages and production halts at several automakers.
—
Sarah Jacob,
Bloomberg,
14 Jan. 2026
Conflict in Yemen has prompted air traffic halts — leaving about 600 tourists stranded on a remote island.
—
Ashley J. Dimella,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for halts
Verb
-
Santorini stops being only a view and starts behaving like a place again.
-
Workforce needs, customer expectations, and business conditions evolve, and leaders have to be willing to adjust if the model stops delivering results.
Verb
-
This is not only devastating because Aang appears fatally injured, but because if an Avatar dies in the Avatar State, the entire cycle of Avatar reincarnation ceases and the earth’s balance is forever lost.
-
What is surprising—indeed, almost shocking—is when a particular fashion ceases to change.
Verb
-
Find your favorite before the deal ends, and check out more bedding from Bloomhaven below.
-
After physical disk production ends, new games will be available exclusively in digital format from the PlayStation Store, an online shop for PlayStation games, and at retailers.
Verb
-
None at all leads to slow, pale, sad-looking growth that limps through the season.
-
The unchanged chain was dubbed Ethereum Classic, which still limps along today, though its market cap is far less than 1% of actual Ethereum.
Verb
-
In Spearfish, Yu hesitates over a set of cow grates and dumps her bike at low velocity.
-
Hassan hesitates over an undercooked backpass, Haaland smells blood, and Iraq are toast.
Noun
-
Natalia Cardona Sanchez from Guatemala makes tropical jams with Latin American and Caribbean flavors.
-
Others may step in when a package jams, a label fails to scan or a pallet needs human attention.
Noun
-
Temporary cessations of hostility, but no permanent closing of the moral and social divide between debtor and creditor, and no giving up on the thought that some lives matter more than others.
Verb
-
Not stalls the standard 12-by-12 feet of other ranches but 14 feet square to give horses more room to move around naturally.
-
This process stalls improvements for years.
Cite this Entry
“Halts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/halts. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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