as in to hesitate
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
he paused for a moment to regain his composure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lull
a momentary halt in an activity
there was a brief pause for applause in her speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
the question caught the professor off guard, and there was a pause before he responded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pause
Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
One pauses a policy and hopes the controversy fades.
—Shane Harris, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
But the composer Huang Ruo knows that this slowness can also offer opportunity for pause, reflection, and escape.
—Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Verb
Additionally, a swath of Strategy copycats that emerged over the past year or so have slowed or paused their bitcoin purchases amid the digital asset’s correction.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
One pauses a policy and hopes the controversy fades.
—Shane Harris, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
The spending pause does not include positions directly serving students and funds for things like classroom supplies and graduation activities.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
But the composer Huang Ruo knows that this slowness can also offer opportunity for pause, reflection, and escape.
—Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pause
Verb
-
Asked during a keynote appearance at Berlin’s European Film Market whether such a deal would be good for the film business, Ford didn’t hesitate.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Glenn and his friends were asked to meet some girls, and the teens didn’t hesitate.—
Yolanda Harris,
AJC.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Darnold’s late-career breakout looked familiar to Ryan’s, who started well as a young quarterback but also suffered a performance lull before succeeding later in his career.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The overnight attacks follow a recent lull in strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides, which was proposed by the US.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One mistake or moment of hesitation could mean death.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This feature helps eliminate jerky movements and hesitation.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Long before news broke of lawsuits alleging a widespread State Farm bad faith scheme to wrongly deny Oklahoma hail claims, Coppermark’s petition accused insurance companies and the insurance department of working in cahoots.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Elsewhere along the beach, Grey walked along the shoreline as waves broke at her feet.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha that focuses on breath and the mind-body connection.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Their own bodies sound, rejoicing with each breath.—
Allegra Goodman,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Medical experts and public health leaders say overcoming hesitancy is key in preventing further spread in and around Charlotte, and preventing the rise of other infectious diseases.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Warsh, a former Fed governor with a Wall Street background, has been critical of the central bank's handling of inflation in the past and told CNBC in July that its hesitancy to cut interest rates undermined its credibility.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The interruption occurred just as the game got interesting.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
For zero-interruption power, the mtu Kinetic PowerPack provides a dynamic UPS solution using a high-speed flywheel instead of chemical batteries, ensuring instant response during grid failures.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Company leaders have attributed slower demand to higher mortgage rates, economic uncertainty and consumers’ hesitance to spring for pricier projects.—
Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
-
But the unwillingness to even take them, the same hesitance that Nance and most others believed was in the past, is hurting his overall game.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pause. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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