give (someone) pause

idiom

: to cause (someone) to stop and think about something carefully or to have doubts about something

I was going to ask her for help, but the look on her face gave me pause.

Examples of give (someone) pause in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

While some fear the worst is yet to come, and that larger e-motorcycle manufacturers are set for a similar fate, these shutdowns also give pause to other early adopters looking to ride the electric wave. —

New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2024 Being consistent with that duality has allowed people to give pause. —

Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024 But does an 8-1 Game 4 spanking in Edmonton give pause to the would-bet celebrants in South Florida? —

Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 16 June 2024 Moon mining, whether for water or rare-earth metals, remains science fiction today, and tends to give pause to casual observers, who imagine looking up, horrified, at a strip-mined lunar surface. —

David W. Brown, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for give (someone) pause

Cite this Entry

Style

“Give (someone) pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20%28someone%29%20pause. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation