STOPS Synonyms: 340 Similar and Opposite Words

stops 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stop

as in ceases

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

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in halts

to bring (something) to a standstill traffic was stopped for over an hour by the overturned truck

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as in fills

to close up so that no empty spaces remain I stopped the mouse hole with plaster

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as in ends

to come to an end the music stopped but we kept on dancing

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as in overcomes

to achieve a victory over they were eventually stopped by the best team in the league

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stops

2 of 2

noun

plural of stop

as in breaks

a brief halt in a journey our guide called for a stop at the trail hut so we could eat and rest a bit

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in stations

a regular stopping place had lunch on a picnic table at a shady rest stop along the highway

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as in obstacles

something that makes movement or progress difficult pulled out all the stops and presented the most spectacular show ever

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as in cessations

the stopping of a process or activity put a stop to this nonsense

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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 stops

Verb

Last week, when Ocasio-Cortez made three campaign stops for Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, neither Democrat — and no audience members — brought up the topic of Gaza. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026 In January 2025, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch changed the department pursuit policy, barring cops from chasing after vehicles fleeing car stops unless a felony crime or a violent misdemeanor was committed. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026 The clock stops on a first down in college football when its under two minutes to go in a half. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Responsibility that stops at the corporate entity isn’t responsibility. — Giorgos Tsetis, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 When an autonomous response stops for human approval, this becomes part of the security equation. — Asaf Wiener, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Other landmark stops on the schedule include Notre Dame, Yankee Stadium, Chicago’s Solder Field, Iowa’s Field of Dreams and Cooperstown, New York. — Matt Young, Houston Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2026 When a character stops acting on behalf of himself and instead makes a choice to act on behalf of the welfare of another person, the story suddenly evokes a sheaf of nobler feelings. — Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 For me, that's when a portable power station stops being just an emergency backup and becomes a practical tool for genuine energy independence. — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026

Noun

The companies position shorter charging stops as a way to support longer operating windows and more demanding task sequences. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026 One of his stops was the Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Arizona stands out as the lone swing state among the president's recent stops, though the airport rally was in a county Trump won with 78% of the vote in 2024. — Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026 The 2027 Banana Ball Championship League tour will visit 79 stadiums across 74 cities, including the first-ever international stops. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 During three different stops Thursday on his Senate campaign’s bus tour through redder, rural areas of this swing state, El-Sayed and Ocasio-Cortez drew crowds that showed notable star power. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Republican protesters also showed up outside the first two stops of El-Sayed's tour on Thursday. — Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 The out-of-court settlement requires the City of Lexington and its police department to reform practices on a number of issues — from fines and bail to stops, searches and use of force — and bring them into compliance with state and federal law. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 The look also fits the visual identity of her collaboration with 5 Gum, which brought its Stimulating Style Collection to select stops on the Red Bottoms Tour. — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stops

Verb

There is a point beyond which the scale of a threat or a danger ceases to scare us.

— Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
The audience ceases to be a destination for your voice and becomes the structure that shapes it.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of ceases

Verb

Local artwork fills the walls of each room and building, while large-scale sculptures and art installations are rotated seasonally across the property.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
The printer automatically fills the tank and replenishes it as material is consumed during printing.

— Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of fills

Verb

The decision, for now, ends Grab’s first attempt to expand outside Southeast Asia.

— Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
The loss of Flyte and Coe (Tom Brooke) earlier in the season leaves the Horses a little worse for wear, but Slow Horses has one parting blow for our semi-competent hero, River (Jack Lowden), before the season ends.

— Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of ends

Verb

This approach overcomes limitations in thick-electrode battery manufacturing, creating higher-energy-density batteries suitable for long-range electric vehicles.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
Maybe your favorite wrestler finally overcomes insurmountable odds to become a world champion.

— Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of overcomes

Noun

Beyond the breaks stood forests of giant kelp, each capable of growing as much as 50 centimeters a day.

— Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Some kids come into this life and catch all the breaks and start making money and going places and radiating confidence and functionality and the world opens right up to them.

— George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of breaks

Noun

Many metro stations were closed Saturday at police request, including those around the Champs-Elysées and near the presidential palace, Parliament and government offices.

— SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Beatles manager Brian Epstein (whom Louise believed didn’t really understand American culture) had been mailing her copies of their records to circulate to Midwestern radio stations.

— Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of stations

Noun

Icy weather, snowstorms, obstructive foliage and rugged terrain along the wild Rockies were just some of the obstacles Ben Nickell and Anne Koski faced on a 10-year journey to climb the highest point in each of Idaho’s 44 counties.

— Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 20 Oct. 2026
Long before launch, the team faced obstacles that nearly thwarted the endeavor — chiefly, two rejections from NASA — before finally securing the green light for the $1 billion project under the New Frontiers Program in 2011.

— Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of obstacles

Browse Nearby Words

stoppling

stops

stops (by)

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Stops.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stops. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of stops

verb

noun

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