as in intruding
to cause a disruption in a conversation or discussion
it's rude to interrupt when someone is making an important point
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Recent Examples of interrupting
Like a rare daylight-visible meteor, a brilliant red fireball flashed before my eyes, interrupting a mindless moment of communion with nature.
—
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
That’s a reference to what Duncan always intended, and rightly so, as a holistic approach to the problem of violent crime, involving not just violence interrupting by former gang members turned peacekeepers but better education and job opportunities for the young people most at risk.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
And by interrupting the momentum of a room-wide consensus, the structure helps surface concerns that might otherwise remain unspoken.
—Jane Sadowsky, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Collecting this data – their actions on the computer and transcripts of the voice recordings – allowed researchers to analyze the writing process without interrupting it.
—Jeanne Beatrix Law, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
West Texas Intermediate May futures also saw a noticeable pickup in trading activity at roughly the same time, with a distinct volume spike interrupting otherwise quiet conditions.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
At the height of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, local health care providers across specialties held a powerful press conference, sounding the alarm about Immigration Customs Enforcement presence at hospitals and interrupting patients’ abilities to seek medical care.
—Dr. Lauren Palladino, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
In this environment, an effective national counterterrorism strategy would likely point to stopping terrorism further upstream, interrupting radicalization and violent mobilization at an earlier stage.
—Jacob Ware, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
Following our victory, manufacturing deadlines and industrial constraints prevented us from interrupting this ongoing process.
—Ali Rampling, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
That’s a reference to what Duncan always intended, and rightly so, as a holistic approach to the problem of violent crime, involving not just violence interrupting by former gang members turned peacekeepers but better education and job opportunities for the young people most at risk.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
And by interrupting the momentum of a room-wide consensus, the structure helps surface concerns that might otherwise remain unspoken.
—Jane Sadowsky, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Collecting this data – their actions on the computer and transcripts of the voice recordings – allowed researchers to analyze the writing process without interrupting it.
—Jeanne Beatrix Law, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
West Texas Intermediate May futures also saw a noticeable pickup in trading activity at roughly the same time, with a distinct volume spike interrupting otherwise quiet conditions.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
At the height of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, local health care providers across specialties held a powerful press conference, sounding the alarm about Immigration Customs Enforcement presence at hospitals and interrupting patients’ abilities to seek medical care.
—Dr. Lauren Palladino, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
In this environment, an effective national counterterrorism strategy would likely point to stopping terrorism further upstream, interrupting radicalization and violent mobilization at an earlier stage.
—Jacob Ware, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
Following our victory, manufacturing deadlines and industrial constraints prevented us from interrupting this ongoing process.
—Ali Rampling, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interrupting
Verb
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Where that movie was about one man intruding upon everyone else’s thoughts, however, this one is about everyone else’s thoughts intruding upon one man.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
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But instead of being destroyed like other intruding pathogens, the spores germinate and multiply.—
Hannah Kinzer,
The Conversation,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Why are two players whose college careers, at the moment, are over bothering to put their names out there for other programs to see?—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
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Throughout the day, jot down any worries that are bothering you, particularly the ones that keep popping up.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Miller admitted the Moore trade certainly helps the Bills and their NFL MVP quarterback, but adding former Indiana standout Omar Cooper in the first round can't hurt.—
Andrew McCarty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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For example, the Labor Department in May rescinded guidance put in place during the Biden administration that urged employers to be cautious before adding cryptocurrency and related digital assets like bitcoin, nonfungible tokens and meme coins to 401(k) plans.—
Sarah Agostino,Stephanie Dhue,Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The skin should look dry and slightly blistered, the potato should give with a gentle squeeze, and after cutting in, the flesh should look fluffy and steamy.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
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Dip the bottom of each cutting in rooting hormone and shake off any excess rooting powder or gel.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Interrupting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interrupting. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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