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Definition of stopnext
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stop

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noun

1
as in break
a brief halt in a journey our guide called for a stop at the trail hut so we could eat and rest a bit

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in station
a regular stopping place had lunch on a picnic table at a shady rest stop along the highway

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word stop distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of stop are cease, desist, discontinue, and quit. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.

stopped at the red light

In what contexts can cease take the place of stop?

While in some cases nearly identical to stop, cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality.

by nightfall the fighting had ceased

When can desist be used instead of stop?

In some situations, the words desist and stop are roughly equivalent. However, desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

When could discontinue be used to replace stop?

The meanings of discontinue and stop largely overlap; however, discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When is quit a more appropriate choice than stop?

Although the words quit and stop have much in common, quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

How is the word stop distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of stop are cease, desist, discontinue, and quit. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.

stopped at the red light

In what contexts can cease take the place of stop?

While in some cases nearly identical to stop, cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality.

by nightfall the fighting had ceased

When can desist be used instead of stop?

In some situations, the words desist and stop are roughly equivalent. However, desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

When could discontinue be used to replace stop?

The meanings of discontinue and stop largely overlap; however, discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When is quit a more appropriate choice than stop?

Although the words quit and stop have much in common, quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of stop
Verb
That didn’t stop several neighbors from mentioning the Chicago Bulls great by name Monday night. Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026 Under the settlement, Match and OkCupid must stop misrepresenting their data practices and privacy controls, but no financial penalties were imposed. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
Like others, his first impromptu stop at the museum came while driving across the state for political events. Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026 His most recent stop before Arkansas was in Baltimore, Maryland, as a night and breaking news editor. Arkansas Online, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stop
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stop
Verb
  • Under the emergency order, the school must immediately cease operations and may not provide massage education services in Texas unless otherwise authorized.
    S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Your intelligence, your generosity, your courage, and your great sensitivity never cease to move me.
    Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In February, a Massachusetts federal court order halted the administration from using tax data for immigration enforcement for now.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
  • This week, construction crews and equipment snaked along a hillside on the southern end of the 420-acre parcel, away from the three sites where the Army Corps had halted work.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • For every event that closes, such as the Johannesburg Biennale (held in 1995 and 1997) and the Marrakech Biennale (2004–16), others, like the Lagos Biennial (founded in 2017) and the Stellenbosch Triennial (founded in 2020), emerge to fill the void.
    Smooth Nzewi, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Hernandez’s supervisors asked her to fill a new role in 2018, a job that did not exist anywhere else in the state.
    Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Oh, and after a Collins strikeout finally ended the streak in the sixth, Isbel promptly led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run.
    Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026
  • According to Max Preps, the JSerra Lions ended the 2025 season with a 3-7 record and went 0-5 in the Trinity League against powerhouse like Mater Dei.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Bane overcame a slow start by making six of his first seven attempts at the free-throw line to reach 10 points after two quarters.
    Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the third period, including Rielly's snap shot from the high slot that beat Anaheim goalie Ville Husso stick-side to give Toronto a 4-3 lead with three minutes left in regulation.
    CBS News, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Her youngest son Oliver, now 2, was born with a hole in his heart and needed surgery, sending her on a six-month social media break.
    David Oliver, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
  • That, more than anything else, is the lesson of this international break.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Officers who responded to the gas station noted extensive damage to the front door and windows, as well as merchandise and debris scattered through the store and parking lot, police said.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
  • There is little glamour late night in a crowded Amtrak station.
    CBS News, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • While there wasn’t a 7-foot-4 obstacle blocking the lane, the Clippers still couldn’t get out of their own way and lost to the Spurs for the third time in less than a month, 118-99, at the Intuit Dome.
    Janis Carr, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
  • At the same time, the physicists don’t see any insurmountable obstacles.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stop. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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