traffic stop

noun

plural traffic stops
: an instance of police stopping a driver (as for speeding or a broken taillight)
She was pulled over for a routine traffic stop.
an officer making a traffic stop

Examples of traffic stop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Porter County will be the first in Indiana to offer countywide the Blue Envelope Program, which is designed to foster better communication during a traffic stop between those on the autism spectrum and law enforcement. Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025 The trooper followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2025 The case stems from a traffic stop in Monterey on Jun. 20, 2024, when Martinez was reportedly pulled over for having a tinted license plate cover. Bay City News Service, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2025 Later in the week, Stahl added another wrinkle to the controversial traffic stop. Charles Rabin and, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for traffic stop

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of traffic stop was in 1953

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Cite this Entry

“Traffic stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic%20stop. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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