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
Melanie Sniff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
In the weight room, David drops into a plank pose and moves the length of an agility ladder, hand to hand, down and back, pausing only when Will cracks a joke.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Under that agreement, the two sides were supposed to exploit the pause in fighting to negotiate the next stage of the deal, including a permanent cease-fire and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pause
Verb
Right now, more than 25 kids in San Diego are stuck on dialysis, their childhoods paused.
—Melanie Sniff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
In the weight room, David drops into a plank pose and moves the length of an agility ladder, hand to hand, down and back, pausing only when Will cracks a joke.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
The only things that would give him pause are if crossing the border becomes more of a hassle or the Canadian dollar were to take a hit.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Under that agreement, the two sides were supposed to exploit the pause in fighting to negotiate the next stage of the deal, including a permanent cease-fire and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pause
Verb
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Yet, the didn't appear to be the case for Colton, who hesitated to answer before last week's episode concluded.—
Dory Jackson,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Touching on directing and managing the top teams at Nudie Jeans, Levin doesn’t hesitate.—
Angela Lei,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Both programs survived midseason lulls and now look locked in for the stretch run.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
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The big picture: After a long lull, Minnesota's stadium politics are about to heat up again.—
Kyle Stokes,
Axios,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Issues related to social justice, politics, sustainability, and mental health regularly intersect with entertainment stories, placing celebrities under pressure to publicly take stances on divisive topics, often without room for error or hesitation.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
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Consumer Confidence Is Still in Retreat Even as prices have started to ease, consumer hesitation lingers.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Two judges have found the administration broke federal laws in its handling of the layoffs and ordered workers reinstated.—
Time,
Time,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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After the initial whiplash and loss of breath, I was hooked.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
5 Apr. 2025
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As the market holds its breath, the toll is already undeniable.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In contrast, the ACC, long considered one of the premier basketball conferences, has had a down year, partly based on a hesitancy to embrace NIL.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC News,
19 Mar. 2025
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Gypsy-Rose Blanchard opened up about her hesitancy to marry Ken on 'Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up', which airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Lifetime Comments Gypsy-Rose Blanchard is questioning where her relationship with Ken Urker is headed.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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For Ukrainians, the immediate impact is clear: aid delays and program interruptions will only worsen their already fragile situation.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
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When conducting a turnover, don't just set aside time for discussions, but help clear their schedule to complete the turnover without interruptions.—
Dr. Cynthia J. Young,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Some Republican lawmakers have expressed hesitance to focus on a DOGE dividend rather than lowering the national deficit or expanding tax cuts, according to Forbes.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacramento Bee,
12 Mar. 2025
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Soren Toft and Vincent Clerc, the CEOs of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk, respectively, have called out the lack of safety guarantees as the top reason for their hesitance to return.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pause. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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