1
a
: a compartment for a domestic animal in a stable or barn
b
: a space marked off for parking a motor vehicle
2
a
: a seat in the chancel of a church with back and sides wholly or partly enclosed
b
: a church pew
c
chiefly British
: a front orchestra seat in a theater
—usually used in plural
3
: a booth, stand, or counter at which articles are displayed for sale
4
: a protective sheath for a finger or toe
5
: a small compartment
a shower stall
especially
: one with a toilet or urinal
stalled; stalling; stalls
1
: to put into or keep in a stall
2
obsolete
: install sense 2
1
: to come to a standstill (as from mired wheels or engine failure)
2
: to experience a stall in flying
: the condition of an airfoil or aircraft in which excessive angle of attack causes disruption of airflow with attendant loss of lift
: a ruse to deceive or delay
stalled; stalling; stalls
: to play for time : delay
: to hold off, divert, or delay by evasion or deception
Synonyms
Examples of stall in a Sentence
Verb (1)
endless complaints stalled the process of selecting the winning design for the memorial
the engine stalls sometimes when it's very cold outside
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Megerian, Fortune, 8 May 2024
The work on a demolition crew was strenuous and dirty, and Chapa, a father of two, said his pay stalled at $26 an hour.
—Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
On April 29, after negotiations stalled, Columbia began suspending students who did not heed its warning to leave the encampment by 2 p.m.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 6 May 2024
If the economy stalls, those struggling with higher living costs could pay the price.
—Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 5 May 2024
The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged at between 5.25% and 5.5% — the highest level in more than a decade — as annual inflation rates continued to stall.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 1 May 2024
Business interests are increasingly turning to the statewide ballot to block and stall progressive laws from taking effect, or to push their own policy agenda directly to voters.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2024
The club enters this weekend languishing in fifth place in the Bundesliga, its form patchy, its progress stalled.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 May 2024
The death of House Bill 1158 underpins the power of a lobby that is also opposed to a bill that would create regulation of management companies, which has stalled in the Colorado House and hasn’t had a vote in a month.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, The Denver Post, 3 May 2024
Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 8 May 2024
Speaking of rice, what’s behind the name Workout Rice, another food hall stall?
—Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2024
The shower was a tiny, tiled stall behind a folding screen.
—Brittney Griner, TIME, 3 May 2024
Readers are made privy to the court intrigues of Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII, eavesdrop on women arguing in a market stall, and inhale the stench of London streets.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 3 May 2024
There’s also a 100-foot x 200-foot year-round riding arena, additional horse and livestock stalls, and fenced pastures.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2024
Among the Trump-merchandise stalls and food stands was a Turning Point Action booth, where a young volunteer and friend of Presler’s was signing up the not insignificant portion of Trump-rally attendees who aren’t registered to vote.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2024
There are additional horse and livestock stalls and pastures on the land.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 23 Apr. 2024
When the line by their doughnut stall grew longer each Saturday, the couple decided to go all-in with Slow Rise, launching social media, a website and merchandise.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2024
Verb
The initiatives were once part of Build Back Better, Biden’s gargantuan legislative agenda that stalled on Capitol Hill two years ago.
—Chris Megerian, Fortune, 8 May 2024
The work on a demolition crew was strenuous and dirty, and Chapa, a father of two, said his pay stalled at $26 an hour.
—Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
On April 29, after negotiations stalled, Columbia began suspending students who did not heed its warning to leave the encampment by 2 p.m.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 6 May 2024
If the economy stalls, those struggling with higher living costs could pay the price.
—Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 5 May 2024
The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged at between 5.25% and 5.5% — the highest level in more than a decade — as annual inflation rates continued to stall.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 1 May 2024
Business interests are increasingly turning to the statewide ballot to block and stall progressive laws from taking effect, or to push their own policy agenda directly to voters.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2024
The club enters this weekend languishing in fifth place in the Bundesliga, its form patchy, its progress stalled.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 May 2024
The death of House Bill 1158 underpins the power of a lobby that is also opposed to a bill that would create regulation of management companies, which has stalled in the Colorado House and hasn’t had a vote in a month.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, The Denver Post, 3 May 2024
Noun
Many places only have one larger stall, which is often occupied by a non-handicapped person.
—Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 8 May 2024
Speaking of rice, what’s behind the name Workout Rice, another food hall stall?
—Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2024
The shower was a tiny, tiled stall behind a folding screen.
—Brittney Griner, TIME, 3 May 2024
Readers are made privy to the court intrigues of Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII, eavesdrop on women arguing in a market stall, and inhale the stench of London streets.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 3 May 2024
There’s also a 100-foot x 200-foot year-round riding arena, additional horse and livestock stalls, and fenced pastures.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2024
Among the Trump-merchandise stalls and food stands was a Turning Point Action booth, where a young volunteer and friend of Presler’s was signing up the not insignificant portion of Trump-rally attendees who aren’t registered to vote.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2024
There are additional horse and livestock stalls and pastures on the land.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 23 Apr. 2024
When the line by their doughnut stall grew longer each Saturday, the couple decided to go all-in with Slow Rise, launching social media, a website and merchandise.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stall.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stall
Cite this Entry
“Stall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stall. Accessed 12 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stall
1 of 5 noun1
: a compartment for a domestic animal in a stable or barn
2
a
: a seat in the choir of a church with back and sides wholly or partly enclosed
b
chiefly British
: a front orchestra seat in a theater
—usually used in plural
3
: a booth, stand, or counter at which articles are displayed for sale
4
: a small compartment
a shower stall
especially
: one with a toilet or urinal
stall
2 of 5 verb1
: to put into or keep in a stall
2
: to stop or cause to stop usually by accident
stall an engine
3
: to experience or cause (an aircraft) to experience a stall in flying
stall
3 of 5 noun
: the condition of an aircraft or a wing of an aircraft in which lift is lost and the aircraft or wing tends to drop
stall
4 of 5 noun
: a trick to deceive or delay
stall
5 of 5 verb
: to distract attention or make excuses to gain time
try to stall them until I get the place cleaned up
Etymology
Noun
Old English steall "stall for an animal"
Noun
an altered form of earlier stale "lure"
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