stop
1 of 3verb
ˈstäp 
stopped; stopping
transitive verb
1
a
: to close by filling or obstructing
b
: to hinder or prevent the passage of
c
: to get in the way of : be wounded or killed by
easy to stop a bullet along a lonely … road—
Harvey Fergusson
Harvey Fergusson2
a
: to close up or block off (an opening) : plug
b
: to make impassable : choke, obstruct
c
: to cover over or fill in (a hole or crevice)
3
a
: to cause to give up or change a course of action
b
: to keep from carrying out a proposed action : restrain, prevent
stopped them from leaving
4
a
: to cause to cease : check, suppress
b
: discontinue
5
a
: to deduct or withhold (a sum due)
b
: to instruct one's bank to refuse (payment) or refuse payment of (something, such as a check)
6
a
: to arrest the progress or motion of : cause to halt
stopped the car
b
: parry
c
: to check by means of a weapon : bring down, kill
d
: to beat in a boxing match by a knockout
broadly : defeat
e
: baffle, nonplus
7
a
: to change the pitch of (something, such as a violin string) by pressing with the finger
b
: to change the pitch of (a wind instrument) by closing one or more finger holes or by thrusting the hand or a mute into the bell
8
: to hold an honor card and enough protecting cards to be able to block (a bridge suit) before an opponent can run many tricks
intransitive verb
1
a
: to cease activity or operation
his heart stopped
the motor stopped
b
: to come to an end especially suddenly : close, finish
The talking stopped when she entered the room.
2
a
: to cease to move on : halt
b
: pause, hesitate
3
a
: to break one's journey : stay
b
chiefly British : remain
c
: to make a brief call : drop in
4
: to become choked : clog
the sink often stops up
stoppable
ˈstä-pə-bəl
adjective stop
2 of 3noun
1
a
: cessation, end
b
: a pause or breaking off in speech
2
a(1)
: a graduated set of organ pipes of similar design and tone quality
(2)
: a corresponding set of vibrators or reeds of a reed organ
(3)
: stop knob —often used figuratively in phrases like pull out all the stops to suggest holding nothing back
b
: a means of regulating the pitch of a musical instrument
3
a
: something that impedes, obstructs, or brings to a halt : impediment, obstacle
b
: the aperture of a camera lens
also : a marking of a series (as of f-numbers) on a camera for indicating settings of the diaphragm
c
: a drain plug : stopper
4
: a device for arresting or limiting motion
5
: the act of stopping : the state of being stopped : check
6
a
: a halt in a journey : stay
made a brief stop to refuel
b
: a stopping place
a bus stop
7
a
chiefly British : any of several punctuation marks
b
—used in telegrams and cables to indicate a period
c
: a pause or break in a verse that marks the end of a grammatical unit
8
a
: an order stopping payment (as of a check or note) by a bank
b
: stop order
9
: a consonant characterized by complete closure of the breath passage in the course of articulation compare continuant
10
: a depression in the face of an animal at the junction of forehead and muzzle
11
: a function of an electronic device that stops a recording
stop
3 of 3adjective
: serving to stop : designed to stop
stop line
stop signal
Synonyms
Verb
- break
- break off
- break up
- can [slang]
- cease
- cut off
- cut out
- desist (from)
- discontinue
- drop
- end
- give over
- halt
- knock off
- lay off
- leave off
- pack (up or in)
- quit
- shut off
Noun
- layover
- stopover
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb She was walking toward me, and then she suddenly stopped. The bus stopped at the corner. He stopped to watch the sun set. He stopped to pick up a penny. The car was going so fast that it couldn't stop in time. The traffic light turned red, so she had to stop. Stop that man! He stole my wallet. They stopped us at the border to check our passports. She stopped the car and turned back. He was stopped by the police for speeding. Noun His first stop will be Washington, D.C. Our first stop has to be the gas station. I need to make a stop at the grocery store on the way home. The next stop is Main Street and Tower Square. I'm getting off at the next stop. Slow down as you approach the stop. See More
Recent Examples on the WebJustin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2023 Disaster was averted when an air traffic controller, using an expletive, urgently told pilots of the Delta jet to stop their takeoff. —David Koenig, ajc, 11 Feb. 2023 Widespread confusion over which containers can be recycled doesn't stop with the pizza boxes, Hedlund said. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2023 Hartford Police Department officers saw an Infiniti QX80 that had previously fled multiple motor vehicle stop attempts on Thursday around 10:20 p.m. —Mike Mavredakis, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2023 Overall, the weak efficacy and notorious side effects of the currently available drugs mean a big percentage of people with schizophrenia simply stop taking their medication. —WIRED, 10 Feb. 2023 Fungicides are commonly used in building materials to kill or stop the growth of mold. —Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2023 The prolonged, expensive, stop-and-start regulatory process is one of several huge business hurdles for companies selling contraceptives, at a time when access to birth control is more crucial than ever. —Maria Aspan, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2023 Eyewitnesses told Israeli media that a blue Mazda sedan rammed into people waiting at the bus stop hours before the start of the Jewish sabbath. —Miriam Berger, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Feb. 2023 Ryan Black, The Courier-Journal, 11 Feb. 2023 After making its first stop in Dallas in 2021, the tour returned two years later with an abridged lineup: Rick Ross, Jadakiss, and Ja Rule were notably absent. —Dallas News, 7 Feb. 2023 Tucson was their first stop in the On the Road series. —Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 5 Feb. 2023 Her final stop was a dinner hosted by the Armed Services YMCA for other Gabrielle Giffords crew members and their families. —Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2023 In her last stop during a two-day trip to San Diego County on Saturday, First Lady Jill Biden heard first-hand stories about the stress placed on veterans and military families during a brief visit to an Oceanside mental health clinic. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2023 Adnaan, Samya’s older brother, was in New Zealand, working construction, his latest stop in a young adulthood that had included hitchhiking to Alaska and sailing across the Atlantic in a thirty-six-foot boat. —James Ross Gardner, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2023 Then the red-hot metal cylinders are placed on a slide to their next stop. —Rebecca Lieberman, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2023 His first stop was the parking lot of a Center Point salon where his mother went to get her nails done. —Bob Carlton | Bcarlton@al.com, al, 2 Feb. 2023 Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2023 Meanwhile, the opening of eco-resort The Chedi El Gouna on the Red Sea is penciled in for December 2022—yet another reason for a multi-stop journey through Egypt. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Nov. 2022 El Al is also reinstating its Boston to Ben Gurion non-stop route, which was removed from schedules in March 2020. —Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 17 Apr. 2022 Riders Ben and Ida share their experience on one of their recent multi-stop rides. —IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2021 The airline currently serves more than 100 destinations and will add new non-stop service between multiple cities and Puerto Rico this summer. —Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2023 Emergency crews cleared some 9 metric tons (9.9 tons) of rubble during a non-stop search and rescue operation, the Dnipro City Council said. —Hanna Arhirova, ajc, 17 Jan. 2023 There are the classics like Die Hard and First Blood, superhero films such as Black Panther and Captain America: Civil War and spy movies like Casino Royale — which all promise thrilling storylines, intense fight scenes and non-stop excitement. —Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2022 Many teens are acutely aware of the current state of our planet, thanks to what can seem like non-stop news and social media coverage. —Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 14 Dec. 2022 See More
Verb
Those who remove these trees must pay a fine of at least $300 per circumference inch and, since new legislation passed in March, may be hit with stop-work orders. —Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2023 Disaster was averted when an air traffic controller, using an expletive, urgently told pilots of the Delta jet to stop their takeoff. —David Koenig, ajc, 11 Feb. 2023 Widespread confusion over which containers can be recycled doesn't stop with the pizza boxes, Hedlund said. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2023 Hartford Police Department officers saw an Infiniti QX80 that had previously fled multiple motor vehicle stop attempts on Thursday around 10:20 p.m. —Mike Mavredakis, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2023 Overall, the weak efficacy and notorious side effects of the currently available drugs mean a big percentage of people with schizophrenia simply stop taking their medication. —WIRED, 10 Feb. 2023 Fungicides are commonly used in building materials to kill or stop the growth of mold. —Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2023 The prolonged, expensive, stop-and-start regulatory process is one of several huge business hurdles for companies selling contraceptives, at a time when access to birth control is more crucial than ever. —Maria Aspan, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2023 Eyewitnesses told Israeli media that a blue Mazda sedan rammed into people waiting at the bus stop hours before the start of the Jewish sabbath. —Miriam Berger, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Feb. 2023 Noun
The Wildcats had everything Leary wanted at his next stop. —Ryan Black, The Courier-Journal, 11 Feb. 2023 After making its first stop in Dallas in 2021, the tour returned two years later with an abridged lineup: Rick Ross, Jadakiss, and Ja Rule were notably absent. —Dallas News, 7 Feb. 2023 Tucson was their first stop in the On the Road series. —Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 5 Feb. 2023 Her final stop was a dinner hosted by the Armed Services YMCA for other Gabrielle Giffords crew members and their families. —Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2023 In her last stop during a two-day trip to San Diego County on Saturday, First Lady Jill Biden heard first-hand stories about the stress placed on veterans and military families during a brief visit to an Oceanside mental health clinic. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2023 Adnaan, Samya’s older brother, was in New Zealand, working construction, his latest stop in a young adulthood that had included hitchhiking to Alaska and sailing across the Atlantic in a thirty-six-foot boat. —James Ross Gardner, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2023 Then the red-hot metal cylinders are placed on a slide to their next stop. —Rebecca Lieberman, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2023 His first stop was the parking lot of a Center Point salon where his mother went to get her nails done. —Bob Carlton | Bcarlton@al.com, al, 2 Feb. 2023 Adjective
The Super Bowl is known for its non-stop barrage of beer ads. —Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2023 Meanwhile, the opening of eco-resort The Chedi El Gouna on the Red Sea is penciled in for December 2022—yet another reason for a multi-stop journey through Egypt. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Nov. 2022 El Al is also reinstating its Boston to Ben Gurion non-stop route, which was removed from schedules in March 2020. —Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 17 Apr. 2022 Riders Ben and Ida share their experience on one of their recent multi-stop rides. —IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2021 The airline currently serves more than 100 destinations and will add new non-stop service between multiple cities and Puerto Rico this summer. —Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2023 Emergency crews cleared some 9 metric tons (9.9 tons) of rubble during a non-stop search and rescue operation, the Dnipro City Council said. —Hanna Arhirova, ajc, 17 Jan. 2023 There are the classics like Die Hard and First Blood, superhero films such as Black Panther and Captain America: Civil War and spy movies like Casino Royale — which all promise thrilling storylines, intense fight scenes and non-stop excitement. —Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2022 Many teens are acutely aware of the current state of our planet, thanks to what can seem like non-stop news and social media coverage. —Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 14 Dec. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English stoppen, from Old English -stoppian, from Vulgar Latin *stuppare to stop with tow, from Latin stuppa tow, from Greek styppē
First Known Use
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1594, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing stop
Kids Definition
stop
1 of 3 verb ˈstäp
stopped; stopping
1
: to close an opening by filling or blocking it : plug
nose stopped up by a cold
2
: restrain sense 1a, prevent
stopped me from going
3
: to interrupt or prevent from continuing or occurring : check
couldn't stop the noise
4
: to instruct one's bank not to pay
stop payment on a check
5
: to halt the movement or progress of
stop the car
6
: to change the pitch of (as a violin string) by pressing with the finger
7
a
: to bring action or operation to an end
the motor stopped
b
: to come to an end
sit down when the music stops
8
: to make a visit
stopping with friends for a week
stop
2 of 3 noun1
: cessation, end
his father put a stop to the arguing
2
a
: a series of similar organ pipes that vary by pitch but have the same tone quality
b
: stop knob —often used in phrases like pull out all the stops to suggest holding nothing back
3
: something that delays, blocks, or brings to a halt : impediment, obstacle
4
: a device for halting or limiting motion
the door was held open by a stop
5
: the act of stopping : the state of being stopped
the train was brought to a sudden stop
6
: a halt in a journey : stay
made a quick stop to refuel
7
: a stopping place
a bus stop
8
chiefly British : any of several punctuation marks
9
: a consonant in the uttering of which there is a step (as in the "p" of "apt" or the "g" of "tiger") when the breath passage is completely closed
10
: a function of an electronic device that stops a recording
stop
3 of 3 adjective : serving to stop : designed to stop
stop line
stop signal
Legal Definition
stop
1 of 2 verb stopped; stopping
transitive verb
1
: to cause to halt
stopped payment
2
: to subject to a legal stop
intransitive verb
: to cease activity or motion
stop
2 of 2 noun : an act or instance of stopping
specifically : a temporary detention that constitutes a limited seizure of a person for the purpose of inquiry or investigation and that must be based on reasonable suspicion see also terry stop compare arrest
stop 1 of 2
verb
1
as in to cease
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end the manufacturer will stop selling the toy and will immediately recall all the units that have already been sold Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- cease
- halt
- end
- quit
- delay
- discontinue
- break
- can
- conclude
- suspend
- drop
- finish
- suspend
- shut off
- cut off
- lay off
- call
- cut out
- leave off
- break off
- pause
- break up
- complete
- desist (from)
- block
- ruin
- impede
- hinder
- suppress
- stay
- give over
- check
- knock off
- obstruct
- hold
- deactivate
- pack (up or in)
- abort
- have done with
- detain
- put the kibosh on
- kill
- destroy
- brake
- arrest
- hold back
- blockade
- squelch
- stem
- scuttle
- abolish
- dam
- dissolve
- turn back
- close (down)
- staunch
- demolish
- stunt
- stamp
- stanch
- snuff
- squash
- annul
- clamp down
- kibosh
- rein (in)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- continue
- proceed
- keep up
- progress
- follow through (with)
- advance
- run on
- drive
- stir
- carry on
- propel
- impel
- actuate
2
as in to halt
to bring (something) to a standstill traffic was stopped for over an hour by the overturned truck Synonyms & Similar Words
- halt
- catch
- stall
- check
- block
- stay
- arrest
- still
- hinder
- suspend
- impede
- draw up
- end
- pull up
- fetch up
- hold
- obstruct
- hold up
- conclude
- detain
- bring up
- discontinue
- terminate
- balk
- snag
- stem
- hold back
- blockade
- clog
- suppress
- cut off
- dam
- bottleneck
- call
- baffle
- squelch
- turn back
- choke off
- repress
- staunch
- stunt
- stanch
- squash
- rein (in)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- continue
- persist
- keep (on)
- proceed
- keep up
- move
- march
- advance
- progress
- follow through (with)
- push
- run on
- drive
- wend
- spur
- fare
- stir
- carry on
- goad
- propel
- impel
- actuate
- budge
- go along
3
as in to fill
to close up so that no empty spaces remain I stopped the mouse hole with plaster Synonyms & Similar Words
- fill
- pack
- plug
- block
- dam
- seal
- stuff
- obstruct
- bung
- clog
- choke
- congest
- occlude
- jam
- clot
- close (off)
- repack
- caulk
- chink
- restuff
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- shovel
- hollow (out)
- excavate
- scoop (out)
4
as in to end
to come to an end the music stopped but we kept on dancing Synonyms & Similar Words
- cease
- halt
- end
- conclude
- expire
- go
- pass
- terminate
- finish
- close
- discontinue
- die
- quit
- stall
- determine
- lapse
- leave off
- elapse
- wind up
- break off
- let up
- break up
- pause
- bite the dust
- dead-end
- stay
- suspend
- wink (out)
- cut out
- refrain (from)
- desist (from)
- abate
- break down
- knock off
- give over
- lay off (of)
- wind down
- pack (up or in)
- conk (out)
- peter (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- continue
- persist
- hang on
- prolong
- extend
- draw out
- protract
5
as in to overcome
to achieve a victory over they were eventually stopped by the best team in the league Synonyms & Similar Words
- overcome
- defeat
- get
- master
- beat
- take
- conquer
- dispatch
- subdue
- best
- lick
- succeed
- surmount
- worst
- get around
- finish
- upend
- trim
- overbear
- overwhelm
- bury
- do down
- skunk
- sweep
- prevail (over)
- triumph (over)
- get the better of
- slaughter
- overmatch
- upset
- surpass
- win (against)
- break
- knock for a loop
- exceed
- crush
- annihilate
- blow out
- top
- bomb
- nose out
- flatten
- clobber
- better
- blow away
- whip
- score
- cap
- excel
- flourish
- smoke
- vanquish
- snow under
- subjugate
- overpower
- cream
- outdo
- unseat
- rout
- overthrow
- trounce
- skin
- thrash
- transcend
- excel
- pip
- knock over
- outshine
- outstrip
- drub
- wax
- outdistance
- wallop
- eclipse
- shellac
- edge (out)
- knock off
- overtop
- outfight
- ace (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- lose (to)
- fall
- fail
- give up
- collapse
- wash out
- flunk
- fold
- go under
- flop
- go down
stop
2 of 2noun
1
as in break
a brief halt in a journey our guide called for a stop at the trail hut so we could eat and rest a bit Synonyms & Similar Words
- break
- pause
- rest
- stopover
- layover
2
as in station
a regular stopping place had lunch on a picnic table at a shady rest stop along the highway Synonyms & Similar Words
- station
- depot
- terminal
- stopover
- way station
- layover
- outstation
3
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult pulled out all the stops and presented the most spectacular show ever Synonyms & Similar Words
- obstacle
- let
- hurdle
- obstruction
- embarrassment
- barrier
- interference
- block
- balk
- hindrance
- cramp
- impediment
- clog
- deterrent
- chain
- delay
- inhibition
- catch
- burden
- stumbling block
- load
- drag
- brake
- hitch
- handicap
- curb
- constraint
- shackles
- encumbrance
- rub
- snag
- crimp
- arrest
- danger
- bar
- rein
- fetter
- stoppage
- blockade
- trammel
- stall
- stone wall
- blockage
- holdback
- hobble
- restraint
- disadvantage
- manacle
- check
- brick wall
- difficulty
- hazard
- embargo
- holdup
- bit
- hardship
- drawback
- peril
- reef
- adversity
- cumber
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- incentive
- spur
- impetus
- stimulus
- catalyst
- break
- advantage
- help
- assistance
- edge
- goad
- aid
- benefit
- stimulant
- boost
- handmaiden
- handmaid
4
as in halt
the stopping of a process or activity put a stop to this nonsense Synonyms & Similar Words
- halt
- ending
- cessation
- close
- cease
- end
- stay
- conclusion
- finish
- closure
- shutdown
- arrest
- stoppage
- termination
- discontinuance
- discontinuation
- pause
- check
- offset
- cutoff
- expiration
- shutoff
- lapse
- surcease
- closedown
- interruption
- arrestment
- suspension
- break
- standstill
- phaseout
- moratorium
- letup
- mop-up
- abeyance
- layoff
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- continuation
- continuance
- extension
- persistence
- prolongation
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of stop are cease, desist, discontinue, and quit. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.
stopped at the red light
While in some cases nearly identical to stop, cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality.
by nightfall the fighting had ceased
In some situations, the words desist and stop are roughly equivalent. However, desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.
desisted from further efforts to persuade them
The meanings of discontinue and stop largely overlap; however, discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.
we have discontinued the manufacture of that item
Although the words quit and stop have much in common, quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.
the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether
Phrases Containing stop
- patercoves
- paterero
- paterfamilias
- paterfamiliases
- pateriform
- paterissa
- paternal
- paternalism
- paternalisms
- paternalist
- paternalistic
- paternalistically
- paternalists
- paternality
- paternalize
- paternally
- paternities
- paternity
- paternity leave
- paternity test
- paternoite
- paternoster
- paternoster lake
- paternoster while
- paternosters