as in hesitated
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
he paused for a moment to regain his composure
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Recent Examples of paused
The high court's order paused Ali's ruling that the $4 billion be spent before the end of the month.
—
Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Poland also paused operations at four airports, including its main hub in Warsaw.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
When users paused to think, their goals became more personal, relevant, and motivating.
—Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The Charlotte City Council paused a meeting earlier this month that included a discussion of a fatal stabbing on the city’s light rail system to recognize a pair of birthdays.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025
The trustees’ efforts, the first step toward positioning the bank for sale, were paused during five years of legal fighting, which came to a close through a legal settlement reached about a year ago.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 9 Sep. 2025
But a hamstring injury paused the first baseman’s second-half hot streak.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The AfD was classified as a right-wing extremist organization by Germany's spy agency in May, but the description has been paused because of an appeal pending in court.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Repayment troubles Many student loan borrowers with their bills paused can't afford the repayment plan options available to them, consumer advocates said.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Poland also paused operations at four airports, including its main hub in Warsaw.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
When users paused to think, their goals became more personal, relevant, and motivating.
—Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The Charlotte City Council paused a meeting earlier this month that included a discussion of a fatal stabbing on the city’s light rail system to recognize a pair of birthdays.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025
The trustees’ efforts, the first step toward positioning the bank for sale, were paused during five years of legal fighting, which came to a close through a legal settlement reached about a year ago.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 9 Sep. 2025
But a hamstring injury paused the first baseman’s second-half hot streak.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The AfD was classified as a right-wing extremist organization by Germany's spy agency in May, but the description has been paused because of an appeal pending in court.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Repayment troubles Many student loan borrowers with their bills paused can't afford the repayment plan options available to them, consumer advocates said.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paused
hesitated
Verb
-
The company had traditionally hesitated to include browns in its product range, but in her first year, after nixing the violet, Waight Keller introduced mocha brown, chocolaty brown, and a winey brown that looked like it had been poured from a decanter.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Tran said some Republican clubs have even hesitated to ask their universities for support or security for their events.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paused. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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