as in winter
a period of often involuntary inactivity or idleness we need to take a time-out from our relationship to think things over

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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 time-out Consult with your day-care provider about whether time-outs involving quiet moon-sand play would encourage more regulated decision-making. Cora Frazier, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025 At the time of our conversation near the end of the first month of 2025, as it’s been a week into a second term for Donald Trump and close to three weeks since wildfires started raging through Los Angeles, Garcelle Beauvais wants to call a time-out. Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 28 Jan. 2025 But the four-time major champion player took an immediate medical time-out after converting her second set point. Manasi Pathak, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025 Should you be caught working, you will be picked up and thrown into the fully functional dungeon for a ten-minute time-out. Weike Wang, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for time-out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for time-out
Noun
  • These cases were unusual, occurring in the winter, and no major rodent infestations were found in these victims’ homes.
    Judy Stone, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • In the winter, the mammoths, with their enormous weight, would tamp down snow, trapping methane—a greenhouse gas—that would otherwise be released by melting permafrost.
    D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The new season involves a prison break and follows a criminal group, the Phantom Gang, undertaking more daring heists while being pursued by the cops.
    Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Both sides took disappointing MLS breaks since their previous meeting.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Therefore, respect your need for some privacy and downtime.
    Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Imagine an oil rig that detects safety threats in real time, a factory that predicts downtime at a fraction of the cost, or a wind farm that maximizes output across every turbine.
    Amir Husain, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
  • The president announced a 90-day pause for several countries but increased tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%.
    Zack Sharf, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
  • This tactical pause enables regulators, particularly EFRAG, to refine the ESRS and streamline technical standards ahead of the December 2025 transposition deadline, thereby enhancing regulatory clarity.
    Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Food and Drug Administration discovered that some of the administration’s aggressive layoffs left the agency without key personnel.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2025
  • That update is expected to include the State Department’s latest estimates of voluntary retirements and separations and how those will affect potential future layoffs to meet benchmarks from Musk’s group and the government’s human resources agency, according to officials familiar with the process.
    Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Time-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time-out. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

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