traffic stop

noun

plural traffic stops
: an instance of police stopping a driver (as for speeding or a broken taillight)
She was pulled over for a routine traffic stop.
an officer making a traffic stop

Examples of traffic stop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Michael Pina shot and killed him during a traffic stop in 2017. Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025 Two Virginia Beach police officers died Saturday morning after they were both shot while conducting a traffic stop late Friday night. Elizabeth Pritchett, Fox News, 24 Feb. 2025 Between May 20 and May 27, the cities’ law enforcement agencies conducted 290 traffic stops during the initiative. Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025 Meanwhile, other Virginia Beach police officers searched the area for the suspect, who was found dead in a shed behind the apartment complex where the traffic stop occurred. Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for traffic stop

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of traffic stop was in 1953

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Traffic stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic%20stop. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!