1
: a temporary stop
2
a
: a break in a verse
b
: a brief suspension of the voice to indicate the limits and relations of sentences and their parts
3
: temporary inaction especially as caused by uncertainty : hesitation
4
a
: the sign denoting a fermata
b
: a mark (such as a period or comma) used in writing or printing to indicate or correspond to a pause of voice
5
: a reason or cause for pausing (as to reconsider)
a thought that should give one pause
6
: a function of an electronic device that pauses a recording
Synonyms
Examples of pause in a Sentence
Noun
There was a brief pause in the conversation.
After a pause the teacher continued the lesson.
He hit pause on the player and explained the significance of the song's lyrics.
Please hit the pause button on the remote control.
Verb
She paused for a few seconds before crossing the street.
We paused briefly to look at the scenery.
He talked for over an hour without pausing.
He picked up the remote control and paused the movie.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2024
The pause originated from his parents questioning whether this was a wise decision.
—Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
Now Big Oil is putting it on pause, trying to repeal/overturn it with a referendum that qualified for the November ballot — well, that’s not Democratic.
—Merle Ginsberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
The size of the request gave Mayor Tom Henry pause.
—John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Apr. 2024
The Pentagon acknowledged the apparent pause, a sign that the tacit rules of engagement had been restored.
—Shane Harris, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The move marked the fifth meeting in a row at which the Fed has left rates unchanged, marking a prolonged pause of the aggressive rate hiking cycle that started in March 2022.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Oil and gas executives have denounced an administration pause on the permitting of new natural gas export terminals.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
But there’s an automatic pause — in legalese, a stay — if the person or entity obtains a bond guaranteeing payment of what’s owed.
—Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
For instance, a high-rise apartment project was paused several months ago and has yet to resume, despite the crane remaining in place.
—Kayla Jackson, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
While construction projects in the snowy region usually halt for winter, Kajima didn’t pause a single day.
—Takashi Mochizuki, Fortune Asia, 15 Apr. 2024
Like Chu, Grande was overcome with emotion and paused briefly to compose herself while delivering her remarks. .
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Moderna paused its plans to build an mRNA plant in Kenya.
—Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Prospect agreed in February to try to sell Crozer to a nonprofit in the coming months, pausing the litigation with The Foundation for Delaware County.
—Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
But pause and remember that their first deal was a dog.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
Brides and grooms roamed the park in formal attire, pausing occasionally to put on eclipse glasses and stare at the vanishing sun.
—Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
Unsure of the future as Hollywood hit the pause button, Blake and Amber decided to leave Los Angeles and head to her hometown: Fort Worth.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2024
The pause originated from his parents questioning whether this was a wise decision.
—Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
Now Big Oil is putting it on pause, trying to repeal/overturn it with a referendum that qualified for the November ballot — well, that’s not Democratic.
—Merle Ginsberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
The size of the request gave Mayor Tom Henry pause.
—John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Apr. 2024
The Pentagon acknowledged the apparent pause, a sign that the tacit rules of engagement had been restored.
—Shane Harris, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The move marked the fifth meeting in a row at which the Fed has left rates unchanged, marking a prolonged pause of the aggressive rate hiking cycle that started in March 2022.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Oil and gas executives have denounced an administration pause on the permitting of new natural gas export terminals.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
But there’s an automatic pause — in legalese, a stay — if the person or entity obtains a bond guaranteeing payment of what’s owed.
—Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Verb
Those plans were paused after a retaliatory weekend attack from Iran, which saw more than 300 projectiles fired towards Israel, the vast majority of which were intercepted by Israel and its partners.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
For instance, a high-rise apartment project was paused several months ago and has yet to resume, despite the crane remaining in place.
—Kayla Jackson, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
While construction projects in the snowy region usually halt for winter, Kajima didn’t pause a single day.
—Takashi Mochizuki, Fortune Asia, 15 Apr. 2024
Like Chu, Grande was overcome with emotion and paused briefly to compose herself while delivering her remarks. .
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Moderna paused its plans to build an mRNA plant in Kenya.
—Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Prospect agreed in February to try to sell Crozer to a nonprofit in the coming months, pausing the litigation with The Foundation for Delaware County.
—Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
But pause and remember that their first deal was a dog.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
Brides and grooms roamed the park in formal attire, pausing occasionally to put on eclipse glasses and stare at the vanishing sun.
—Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pause.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to pause
Dictionary Entries Near pause
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pause. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pause
1 of 2 noun1
: a temporary stop or rest
2
: the sign placed over or under a musical note, chord, or rest to show that it is to be held longer than usual
3
: a reason for pausing
a thought that should give pause
pause
2 of 2 verb
paused; pausing
1
: to stop temporarily
2
: to linger for a time
pause on a high note
Etymology
Noun
Middle English pause "a temporary stop, pause," from Latin pausa "a pause" — related to repose entry 1
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