as in break
a short period of time when you are able to stop doing something that is difficult or unpleasant or when something difficult or unpleasant stops or is delayed
The weekend provided a nice respite from the pressures of her job. a temporary respite
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Recent Examples of respite
Valentine’s Day is like a sweet little respite from February dreariness.
—
Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Today, La Causa has grown to include a charter school, and a crisis nursery and respite center, among other services, according to Luis Ayala, CEO of La Causa.
—Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The specter of violence, meanwhile, hangs over the negotiations, and whatever the result, Iran’s people are unlikely to win respite, the historian Kim Ghattas wrote in the Financial Times.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Between the care provided at The Beehive, its street medicine work and a new respite care facility not yet fully operational, Care Beyond the Boulevard served more than 3,400 patients through about 17,000 encounters in 2025.
—Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for respite
Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Today, La Causa has grown to include a charter school, and a crisis nursery and respite center, among other services, according to Luis Ayala, CEO of La Causa.
—Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The specter of violence, meanwhile, hangs over the negotiations, and whatever the result, Iran’s people are unlikely to win respite, the historian Kim Ghattas wrote in the Financial Times.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Between the care provided at The Beehive, its street medicine work and a new respite care facility not yet fully operational, Care Beyond the Boulevard served more than 3,400 patients through about 17,000 encounters in 2025.
—Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for respite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for respite
Noun
-
With a loss Wednesday night to the New Orleans Pelicans and the middling middle ground will prove all too real, with the Heat entering that game at 28-27, with an eight-day All-Star break to follow.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Milwaukee had made 40% of their 3-point attempts before the break and held the Magic to just 19% from distance.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The pact with Washington, Oregon and four Native American tribes had allowed for a pause in the litigation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
-
This week's talks in Abu Dhabi concluded without a major breakthrough but Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange 157 prisoners of war each, resuming such swaps after a five-month pause.—
Yuliia Dysa,
USA Today,
7 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
-
But restfulness dropped—my body noticed the break.—
Marisa McMillan,
Outside,
29 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Respite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/respite. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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