stopped; stopping
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
3
4
b
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
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
1
4
: to become choked : clog
the sink often stops up
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
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
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
: serving to stop : designed to stop
stop line
stop signal
Examples of stop in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Maybe the bench does it more naturally, but the running didn’t stop when the starters were together.
—Eric Koreen, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2025
Stillwater had better scoring chances in the first half, but Abigail McGowan came up big each time, the latter a diving stop to thwart Lawrence.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
That’s changing fast, thanks to a new direct, non-stop American Airlines flight from Miami, now operating twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
—Angela Caraway-Carlton, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stop
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.
Verb
Others who have been arrested include Emma Bunton at Carpenter's London O2 Arena stop on Saturday, March 8, and Marcello Hernández at one of Carpenter's shows at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles last November.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Maybe the bench does it more naturally, but the running didn’t stop when the starters were together.
—Eric Koreen, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
Amid the press stops, Kardashian has worn a vintage Dior icy blue dress at the show’s Paris premiere and a neutral-brown Schiaparelli gown with black linear accents at the Los Angeles premiere, among other looks.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2025
Stillwater had better scoring chances in the first half, but Abigail McGowan came up big each time, the latter a diving stop to thwart Lawrence.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Mel Brooks’ best comedy shares many similarities with his other revered films – a strong grip of genre beats, a non-stop barrage of gags yanking us forward, and an eagerness to give every performer a chance to comedically shine.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
That’s changing fast, thanks to a new direct, non-stop American Airlines flight from Miami, now operating twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
—Angela Caraway-Carlton, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stop
Cite this Entry
“Stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stop. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stop
1 of 3 verb
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 noun2
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
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