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
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Recent Examples of time-out
Tsitsipas, who did not break any rules, also left court to go to the bathroom at the end of the second set and had a medical time-out for treatment on a foot injury before the fourth.
—
Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 July 2025
The regulation, which underwent a public comment period in March, updates the definition of time-out and use of seclusion — aiming to keep students safe from a practice advocates say can be traumatic for vulnerable students.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 26 June 2025
Here, cops can decompress after a stressful event or take a brief time-out during a draining shift.
—Katja Ridderbusch, NPR, 26 May 2025
The child who broke the toy would likely be yelled at and sent to time-out by the authoritarian parent without much conversation beyond that.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for time-out
Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 July 2025
The regulation, which underwent a public comment period in March, updates the definition of time-out and use of seclusion — aiming to keep students safe from a practice advocates say can be traumatic for vulnerable students.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 26 June 2025
Here, cops can decompress after a stressful event or take a brief time-out during a draining shift.
—Katja Ridderbusch, NPR, 26 May 2025
The child who broke the toy would likely be yelled at and sent to time-out by the authoritarian parent without much conversation beyond that.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for time-out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for time-out
Noun
-
Snag these wide-leg trousers to wear during fall and through winter today, and keep scrolling for more Quince pants.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
-
So one day last winter, as a new MLS season began, Higginbotham’s wife, Nicole, approached him with an idea.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the doorway at the back of the altar room that led to the kitchen, the household staff stood watching, bringing hot water for the lamas to drink during breaks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The Senate left Capitol Hill on Thursday for a weekend break without signaling any moves to end the government shutdown.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This allows for continuous charging while in motion, reducing downtime and potentially enabling smaller, lighter batteries.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
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For experienced users, the printer’s speed and reliability translate into faster iteration and less downtime.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That led to a couple of scoring lulls, especially in the first half.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
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In a lull after your project sold?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
If the pause continues, Forgotten Harvest will extensively fundraise.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Congress signed into law a divest-or-ban order during the Biden administration, but Trump—whose Justice Department must enforce a ban—issued, then repeatedly extended, an enforcement pause in the interest of coming to terms about divestiture.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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At the same time, the administration is trying to use a new round of layoffs to gut multiple offices inside the department, including the Office for Civil Rights and the office responsible for overseeing special education, according to multiple sources within the department.—
The NPR Network,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
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The company also announced its first major layoffs in a decade and plans to cut 1,800 corporate jobs.—
Ashley Lutz,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Time-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/time-out. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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