as in hesitates
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
he paused for a moment to regain his composure
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lulls
a momentary halt in an activity
there was a brief pause for applause in her speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pauses
Allison P. Davis, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Fired from elite law firm Tinley Britt after an argument with his boss (John Slattery), Rudy barely pauses for breath before launching into righteous combat.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Many of us are taught from childhood that pauses in conversation are awkward, even dangerous, and that love must constantly be proven through words.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Equipped with an intelligent rain sensor, the X7 pauses mowing during rain and resumes once the weather clears, protecting both your lawn and the machine.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
His wife pauses, smiles, then adds a note that summarizes everything.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
When the earphones are in your ears, audio automatically starts playing again but pauses when the earphones are around your neck.
—PC Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
When asked why the era still resonates so strongly, Cornia pauses.
—Mike Wass, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
And if the user’s hand accidentally gets too close to the chest, the drone intelligently pauses its approach.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2025
Leadership Brainery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
In May, Axios obtained audio from Biden's October 2023 interview with special counsel Robert Hur, which showed memory lapses and prolonged pauses.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
As a result, these payment pauses can prove costly.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
And the words, while sparse, move together with pauses and spaces to form a musical, entrancing pace or rhythm, one that is distinct from everyday speech and which the reader must be willing to follow.
—Brian Robert Moore
september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
And in case there were not enough pauses in the action, officials stopped the game several other times for lengthy reviews — some initiated by coaches — on foul calls.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025
Their awkward ensuing conversation, filled with long pauses, suggests that after all these years, these people know very little about one another.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2025
The United Nations and partners have said the pauses, airdrops and other measures fell far short of the 600 trucks of aid needed daily in Gaza.
—Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
The pauses began a month ago as international outrage grew over the worsening humanitarian crisis and starvation in the battered enclave.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Lizzo pauses before declining to answer.
—Allison P. Davis, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Fired from elite law firm Tinley Britt after an argument with his boss (John Slattery), Rudy barely pauses for breath before launching into righteous combat.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Many of us are taught from childhood that pauses in conversation are awkward, even dangerous, and that love must constantly be proven through words.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Equipped with an intelligent rain sensor, the X7 pauses mowing during rain and resumes once the weather clears, protecting both your lawn and the machine.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
His wife pauses, smiles, then adds a note that summarizes everything.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
When the earphones are in your ears, audio automatically starts playing again but pauses when the earphones are around your neck.
—PC Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
When asked why the era still resonates so strongly, Cornia pauses.
—Mike Wass, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
And if the user’s hand accidentally gets too close to the chest, the drone intelligently pauses its approach.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
Unlike the more elite schools, community colleges and state schools often do not have hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby Congress, let alone finance litigation or support students impacted by federal funding cuts or pauses.
—Leadership Brainery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
In May, Axios obtained audio from Biden's October 2023 interview with special counsel Robert Hur, which showed memory lapses and prolonged pauses.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
As a result, these payment pauses can prove costly.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
And the words, while sparse, move together with pauses and spaces to form a musical, entrancing pace or rhythm, one that is distinct from everyday speech and which the reader must be willing to follow.
—Brian Robert Moore
september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
And in case there were not enough pauses in the action, officials stopped the game several other times for lengthy reviews — some initiated by coaches — on foul calls.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025
Their awkward ensuing conversation, filled with long pauses, suggests that after all these years, these people know very little about one another.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2025
The United Nations and partners have said the pauses, airdrops and other measures fell far short of the 600 trucks of aid needed daily in Gaza.
—Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
The pauses began a month ago as international outrage grew over the worsening humanitarian crisis and starvation in the battered enclave.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pauses
Verb
-
If the alliance hesitates, Putin will see weakness and press harder.—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The actress hesitates for only a second before divulging the story.—
Galina Espinoza,
Flow Space,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Things got a little sparse in the middle of the maze, but a good set-up and a strong finish made up for any lulls in the action.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Many matches that stretch to five sets are hailed as classics, but closer inspection reveals their lulls and impurities.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Taking deep breaths, looking the person next to you in the eye, putting your hand on your heart, that sort of thing.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The animal eventually takes several breaths and slowly regains consciousness.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Customers who endure more than six sustained power interruptions longer than 5 minutes in one year are also eligible for the $42 outage credit.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The Urban Outfitters brand is sensitive to consumer preferences and economic changes; elevated inventories or supply chain interruptions could prompt markdowns.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Those who pause for breaks, meditate, do yoga, get enough sleep, build a support network and ask for help perform at a higher level.—
Samantha Dewalt,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Even the frat boys next door got involved, doting on Stella and holding her during study breaks.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pauses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pauses. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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