as in break
a short period of time when you are able to stop doing something that is difficult or unpleasant or when something difficult or unpleasant stops or is delayed
The weekend provided a nice respite from the pressures of her job. a temporary respite
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Recent Examples of respite
One cannot help but feel that casting Leni Riefenstahl in a spectacle on live TV was about giving the viewing public respite from a terrible burden of national shame by finding someone to take the blame for it.
—
Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
That said, three days off before returning to Saturday’s lineup, was a welcome respite.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
Grilled pineapple, one of the two vegetarian options, provides a brief respite from the rich bites of meat with sweet and smoky fruit flavors.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
These sequences — and cut-aways to other rare beasts — offer a magical respite from the underbaked plans of a man whose motive in finding the ghost elephants is never fully articulated.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for respite
Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
That said, three days off before returning to Saturday’s lineup, was a welcome respite.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
Grilled pineapple, one of the two vegetarian options, provides a brief respite from the rich bites of meat with sweet and smoky fruit flavors.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
These sequences — and cut-aways to other rare beasts — offer a magical respite from the underbaked plans of a man whose motive in finding the ghost elephants is never fully articulated.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for respite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for respite
Noun
-
Overnight, crews will build hose lays along fire breaks and reinforce lines.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Tigers have been plagued by poor starting pitching, a thin bullpen and an offense that hasn’t played with the same spark since the All-Star break.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This pause led to a more strategic decision that ultimately benefited the company.—
Naz Beheshti,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Job hopping has hit a pause as employees who might have left their companies previously are no longer able to find higher wages, according to a recent report from Bank of America.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But after that moment, the Bills hit a massive lull.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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The show hit another peak after a mid-set lull, which Liam valiantly tried to shake off with stories, jokes, and playful crowd banter — a side of him more familiar offstage than on.—
Lily Moayeri,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Respite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/respite. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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