as in to hesitate
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
he paused for a moment to regain his composure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lull
a momentary halt in an activity
there was a brief pause for applause in her speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
the question caught the professor off guard, and there was a pause before he responded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pause
Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
His move on Wednesday to pause many of the tariffs followed a five-day plunge in stocks that put the S&P 500 on the verge of entering a bear market — when equities fall at least 20% from their most recent high.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2025
Rae Ellen Bichell and Rachana Pradhan, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2025
Gallagher said the latter request gave her pause, because the certification process was not mentioned in the plaintiffs’ original complaint, which focused entirely on the letter because the certification process had yet to be issued by the department.
—Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pause
Verb
According to Powell, the Tan Suo Yi Hao paused its voyage twice over the trench, which has a depth of 8,047 meters (26,401 feet).
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
His move on Wednesday to pause many of the tariffs followed a five-day plunge in stocks that put the S&P 500 on the verge of entering a bear market — when equities fall at least 20% from their most recent high.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
Kennedy has said the NIH should take a years-long pause from funding infectious disease research.
—Rae Ellen Bichell and Rachana Pradhan, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2025
Gallagher said the latter request gave her pause, because the certification process was not mentioned in the plaintiffs’ original complaint, which focused entirely on the letter because the certification process had yet to be issued by the department.
—Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pause
Verb
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This creates bottlenecks, where employees hesitate to act without approval.—
Carlos Hoyos,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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Inside Space Force: Here's What the New Agency Does To be sure, some countries may hesitate to align civilian space activities with a military alliance.—
Andrew Hanna,
Time,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This is when the town shakes off the quiet lull of winter and opens like a bloom kissed by salt and sun.—
Cliff Lewis,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2025
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Glencore, a commodities giant, suspended production at one of its copper smelters in Chile this month, creating a lull in supply that is also contributing to higher prices, according to Reuters.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The source of hesitation is President Trump’s latest tariffs, which, as announced earlier this month, included a 46% tax on imports from Vietnam, the country’s eighth-largest trading partner.—
Stephanie Yang,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2025
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Studies show that financial trauma can lead to avoidance behaviors, chronic underinvestment, and hesitation in wealth-building strategies even among women who appear financially stable on paper.—
Alejandra Rojas,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Once the chocolate is frozen, break the sheet into crackers for dipping.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Apr. 2025
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During his testimony, Morales told the court that intruders had broken into the home, attacked Holloway with a crowbar and kidnapped their daughter.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For people everywhere, the start of spring signals a time of rebirth and a breath of fresh air.—
Sam Cochran,
Architectural Digest,
17 Apr. 2025
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Packing enough power under the hood to get daily computing tasks fast, this laptop will be a breath of fresh air in your day-to-day routine.—
Jade Chung-Lee,
PC Magazine,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
At least one legislator expressed hesitancy during a Senate committee vote Wednesday about the legislation’s expansive footprint.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
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Concerns about data quality, compliance and the rapid pace of AI advancements have created hesitancy, particularly when AI is hastily deployed into customer-facing applications.—
Sumit Johar,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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However, frequent or long interruptions can affect a person's health.—
Sanja Jelic,
Verywell Health,
7 Apr. 2025
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During the interruption, all five women who play Annie remained onstage.—
Anna Russell,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Dasha led the melodic charge with short phrases that captured the character’s hesitance.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
8 Apr. 2025
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That could indicate a hesitance to cut rates because lower rates can give inflation more fuel.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pause. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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