1
as in to stop
to bring (something) to a standstill
traffic was halted by the parade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cease
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the private eye abruptly halted his surveillance of the building upon being spotted by his subject
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to end
to come to an end
all filming halted when the star of the movie quit in a huff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to limp
to walk while favoring one leg
even with her twisted ankle, she managed to halt along and complete her Walk for Peace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
she was often confused, halting between the responsibilities of her job and the demands of her home life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in standstill
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
negotiations are at a halt, with neither management nor the union budging on the issue of salary limits
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in cessation
the stopping of a process or activity
gardening came to a halt during the week of solid rain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 halt
Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Israel also attacked the Syrian Defense headquarters in Damascus to halt the bloodshed in Sweida.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Fatma Tanis, NPR, 1 Aug. 2025
The ruling halts plans that would have forced thousands to leave the U.S. within just two months, risking job loss, loss of health insurance, family separation, and deportation to countries many haven't lived in for decades.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for halt
Verb
Trump signed the executive order to halt $1.1 billion of federal funding back in May, and the following month, the House approved the request.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Israel also attacked the Syrian Defense headquarters in Damascus to halt the bloodshed in Sweida.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Noun
Weiss came up with the phrase as many international aid groups saw their budgets cut dramatically by the Trump administration with accusations of being wasteful yet did not speak up to defend the programs that came to a halt.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 1 Aug. 2025
The ruling halts plans that would have forced thousands to leave the U.S. within just two months, risking job loss, loss of health insurance, family separation, and deportation to countries many haven't lived in for decades.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for halt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for halt
Noun
-
Cruz wanted to bring Congress to a standstill by engineering a government shutdown in a bid to defund Obamacare, aka the Affordable Care Act.—
David M. Drucker,
Mercury News,
12 Aug. 2025
-
The dueling events brought the industry to a standstill and had far-reaching ripple effects for a variety of projects, including Weapons.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But reports have suggested that China fears Russia losing the war or, at minimum, a cessation of hostilities would free up the U.S. and its allies to focus more heavily on China.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
3 Aug. 2025
-
President Donald Trump has announced an immediate cessation to the negotiations last week after the digital tax, which was passed last year, was set to come into effect.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
The sit-down was so named for the Japanese charcoal grill used in many courses, which included Japanese A5 Wagyu steak, edible floral arrangements of microgreens and crackling chicken-skin cones filled with foie gras and cloudberry jam.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Its 6 fillings include hazelnut spread, pastry cream, pistachio spread, dark chocolate, apricot jam and mixed berry jam.—
Gary Stern,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The ending to our season really speaks to that question.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
-
It was released from trigeminal nerve endings surrounding cranial blood vessels.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza war and a deal for the release of half the hostages ended last week in deadlock.—
Emily Rose,
USA Today,
3 Aug. 2025
-
At the same time, the latest deadlock in Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release talks is likely to further prolong the conflict, which continues to rage on in Gaza.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
Trump officials counter that the chips represent lower-tier technology and the highest end of the US chip stack isn’t will remain blocked.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
13 Aug. 2025
-
If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, preferably past the end of a guard rail, and wait until the storm passes.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
This predicament, occurring just five months after the airline's emergence from bankruptcy, initiated a rally predominantly led by United Airlines stock (NASDAQ: UAL), which saw a 10% increase.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Witnesses recalled the woman’s behavior at the time of her predicament.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Although this year’s World Games are coming to a close, this isn’t the end for breaking on the world stage this year.—
Jason Pu,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
-
And with summer coming to a close, a long-sleeve blouse is an excellent option for transitioning into the new season.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
People.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Halt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/halt. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share