stopping 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of stoppingnext
as in passing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stopping

2 of 3

noun

as in halting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stopping

3 of 3

verb

present participle of stop
1
as in ceasing
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end the manufacturer will stop selling the toy and will immediately recall all the units that have already been sold

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stalling
to bring (something) to a standstill traffic was stopped for over an hour by the overturned truck

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in filling
to close up so that no empty spaces remain I stopped the mouse hole with plaster

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in ending
to come to an end the music stopped but we kept on dancing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in defeating
to achieve a victory over they were eventually stopped by the best team in the league

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of stopping
Verb
The case stemmed from a Groveland police officer in September 2020 stopping a Lyft car for speeding and tag lights that weren’t working. — Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2025 What’s stopping organizations from reaping the benefits of AI right now? — Jesse Todd, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stopping
  1. passing
  2. halting
  3. filling
  4. ending
  5. abolition
  6. ceasing
  7. catching
  8. concluding
Adjective
  • Although threats were made in 2024, the ability to make good on those threats has certainly diminished in 2025 and appear to decrease with every passing day.
    — Joshua D. Smeltzer, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
  • With each passing week, the UEFA Conference League is growing in importance for Chelsea and their head coach Enzo Maresca.
    — Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
Definition of passing
Verb
  • The controversy has also strained South Korea's political system, halting high-level diplomacy, rattling financial markets, and spotlighting weaknesses in its governance structure.
    — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
  • Nevertheless, halting the pipeline sent European Union natural gas prices rising to 50 euros ($52), their highest since the 330-euro spike in 2022 after the invasion.
    — Alexander Smith, NBC News, 2 Jan. 2025
Definition of halting
Verb
  • Keep in mind, most places charge for filling up balloons, so make sure to inquire about that.
    — Anna Halkidis, Parents, 4 Jan. 2025
  • Self, Kansas’ 22nd-year basketball coach — whose Jayhawks fell to West Virginia 62-61 on New Year’s Eve at Allen Fieldhouse — suffered a nasty fall while filling his car with fuel at a West 6th Street gas station in Lawrence on the morning of New Year’s Day.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of filling
Verb
  • Despite the hit, Wentz stayed in the game for four more plays to finish the drive, ending it with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery on fourth and goal.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 4 Jan. 2025
  • After ending 2024 with successive Premier League defeats, Enzo Maresca’s side contrived to throw away a lead late on as Crystal Palace rallied to claim a draw at Selhurst Park.
    — Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Definition of ending
Noun
  • The Black colonial women of Boston were pioneers in the fight for justice, laying the groundwork for abolition and civil rights.
    — Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2025
  • McMahon did not, however, explicitly call on Monday for the total abolition of the Education Department.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of abolition
Verb
  • The root system enters a state of rest, ceasing growth.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Jan. 2025
  • With Stewart-Haas Racing ceasing operations at the end of 2024, Briscoe was among the drivers needing to find a new team.
    — George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Definition of ceasing
Verb
  • Schar and Duran had stretched for a loose ball and the Newcastle centre-half had slid in to win it, with Duran first catching him on the buttock and then in the small of the back.
    — George Caulkin, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
  • Try setting aside an hour a week for an online course or catching a webinar.
    — Sho Dewan, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Definition of catching
Verb
  • Former police chief Joe Chacon, who served in the role from 2021 to 2023, nixed a plan to do so after concluding that the sidewalks were too narrow and could not safely contain the swarms of people that flock to the area on weekends.
    — Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American-Statesman, 2 Jan. 2025
  • Resistant to sacrifice, the country was concluding that intelligence, integrity and mastery of the issues were not enough for presidential success.
    — Jonathan Alter, TIME, 29 Dec. 2024
Definition of concluding

Browse Nearby Words

stopping
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stopping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stopping. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on stopping

Nglish: Translation of stopping for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All