halted; halting; halts
1
: to cease marching or journeying
2
: discontinue, terminate
the project halted for lack of funds
1
: to bring to a stop
the strike halted subways and buses
2
: to cause the discontinuance of : end
halt hostilities
halted; halting; halts
archaic
: having a manner of walking that is impaired by a limp
… there is a place for everyone … old and young, hale and halt …—
Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston ChurchillExamples of halt in a Sentence
Verb (1)
traffic was halted by the parade
the private eye abruptly halted his surveillance of the building upon being spotted by his subject
all filming halted when the star of the movie quit in a huff
Noun
They put a halt to the rumors.
The car skidded to a halt.
Verb (2)
even with her twisted ankle, she managed to halt along and complete her Walk for Peace
she was often confused, halting between the responsibilities of her job and the demands of her home life
Recent Examples on the Web
CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
The election was triggered in June when Wilders abruptly withdrew support from the governing coalition, accusing his partners of blocking his proposal to halt all asylum migration.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
Robert Mays, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
The Brit was looking to cement his status after a blistering 60-second knockout of Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, but his night came to a sudden halt before the opening round could conclude.
—Antonio Losada, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Megan Specia, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2022
This is when the fairytale comes crashing to a halt smack-dab in the middle of the Footprint Center.
—Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for halt
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Verb
Play was not halted at any time while the man was being treated.
—CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
The election was triggered in June when Wilders abruptly withdrew support from the governing coalition, accusing his partners of blocking his proposal to halt all asylum migration.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
One loose bolt or misplaced screw is enough to grind the entire contraption to a halt.
—Robert Mays, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
The Brit was looking to cement his status after a blistering 60-second knockout of Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, but his night came to a sudden halt before the opening round could conclude.
—Antonio Losada, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The coronavirus crisis dealt another serious blow to Blackpool, leaving businesses struggling as tourism ground to a halt during nationwide lockdowns.
—Megan Specia, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2022
This is when the fairytale comes crashing to a halt smack-dab in the middle of the Footprint Center.
—Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for halt
Cite this Entry
“Halt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halt. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
halt
1 of 4 adjective
: unable or only partially able to use a body part and especially an arm or a leg
halt
2 of 4 verb2
: to move unsteadily
halt
3 of 4 noun
: the ending of movement, progress, or action
call a halt
halt
4 of 4 verb1
: to stop marching or journeying
2
: to bring to a stop : end
Etymology
Adjective
Old English healt "lame"
Noun
from German halt "stop," derived from earlier halten "to hold"
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