pause
noun
\ ˈpȯz
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Definition of pause
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a temporary stop
2a
: 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
4a
: 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
pause
verb
paused;
pausing
Definition of pause (Entry 2 of 2)
: to cause to pause : stop
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Synonyms for pause
Synonyms: Noun
break, breath, breather, interruption, lull, recess
Synonyms: Verb
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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: Noun
But the boneheaded factor gives us pause: The likelihood that USC, not Stanford, will make a game-turning mistake (penalty, turnover) or that the USC sideline will keep Stanford in the game with a baffling decision. — Jon Wilner, The Denver Post, "Pac-12 football picks: Conference games, rivalry games, revenge games … Week Two should be riveting," 6 Sep. 2019 But the boneheaded factor gives us pause: The likelihood that USC, not Stanford, will make a game-turning mistake (penalty, turnover) or that the USC sideline will keep Stanford in the game with a baffling decision. — Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, "Picks of the week: Conference games, rivalry games, revenge games … Week Two should be riveting," 5 Sep. 2019 Run line: The Indians (-1.5, -150) are risky business at this price, and Tuesday’s result should give you pause. — Joe Williams, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, "Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians odds, picks and betting tips," 4 Sep. 2019 The thought of earning one of those August scholarships was always in the back of Amos’ head, but that lack of playing time gave him pause. — Michael Casagrande | Mcasagrande@al.com, al, "Alabama TE wasn’t recruited, didn’t quit and now he’s living his dream," 28 Aug. 2019 But Biden’s ability to stay atop the polls despite all of these problems should give pause to those who assume that his endless gaffes will be his undoing. — Jonathan S. Tobin, National Review, "Do Joe Biden’s Gaffes Still Matter in the Age of Trump?," 13 Aug. 2019 Here’s what gives the A’s, who need lefty relievers, pause: left-handed batters are hitting .341 with an .833 OPS against Watson this year. — Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, "Whom might A’s add before trade deadline? A couple Giants are possibilities," 19 July 2019 Last year's Amazon site crash may give some shoppers pause – and some Amazon rivals a potential advantage. — Charisse Jones, USA TODAY, "Amazon Prime Day is not the only deal in town. Target, Walmart also chime in with sales," 12 July 2019 The video, which was shared by multiple TV stations, including KTVU, captures one initial shot followed by a pause until eight more rounds are fired off. — Pete Grieve, SFChronicle.com, "Two suspects arrested in San Francisco Market Street shooting case, one suspect still wanted," 26 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
At midnight the musicians paused so guests could enjoy fresh fruit, cake, and ice cream; then dancing resumed until 4 a.m. With no air conditioning, the best time for dancing must have been late in the evening. — Mary Ann Ashcraft, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Carroll Yesteryears: Summer options in the late-1800s included popular camp meetings in Linwood," 8 Sep. 2019 The difference is that unlike soccer, and its international ruling body, the world's top leagues, including the NBA, did not pause to allow top players to compete in such qualifying events. — Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, "Winderman: Nothing Olympian about basketball’s World Cup | Commentary," 31 Aug. 2019 Before boarding, passengers pause to get their photo snapped; that photo is instantaneously sent to the cloud-based, automated matching Traveler Verification Service and compared against the passport photo on record. — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "How Airlines and Airports Use Your Data, From Security to the Flight Itself," 28 Aug. 2019 An individual with knowledge of both Hollywood and yachting etiquette says guests should pause before pulling out a smartphone. — Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, "How David Geffen's Yacht Photos Became a "Status Thing" in Hollywood," 23 Aug. 2019 Butker backs away, takes two steps to his left, pauses, and dashes toward the ball, his right foot making contact with a thwock that sings throughout the stadium. — Robbie Gonzalez, WIRED, "Why the NFL's Field Goal Record Is Waiting to Be Smashed," 22 Aug. 2019 But growth is slowing, stock markets have swung wildly in recent weeks on recession fears, and indicators in the housing and manufacturing sectors have given economists pause. — Josh Boak, The Denver Post, "White House insists fundamentals of U.S. economy “very strong”," 20 Aug. 2019 USA Gymnastics responded by filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2018, a process that consolidated all the lawsuits and paused the de-certification process. — Liz Clarke, courant.com, "New USA Gymnastics president offers support for Simone Biles, others who have been ’silenced’," 10 Aug. 2019 While Apple and Google paused human review, Amazon has decided to offer a clearer, more comprehensive opt-out setting to Alexa users. — Dieter Bohn, The Verge, "Amazon will let you opt out of human review of Alexa recordings," 3 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pause.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for pause
pause
noun
English Language Learners Definition of pause
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a temporary stop : a period of time in which something is stopped before it is started again
: a control that you use when you want to stop a recorded song, movie, etc., for a short time
music
: the sign that is placed over or under a musical note, rest, etc., to show that it should be held longer than usual
pause
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of pause (Entry 2 of 2)
: to stop doing something for a short time before doing it again
: to cause (a recorded song, movie, etc.) to stop for a short time by pushing a button on a device
See the full definition for pause in the English Language Learners Dictionary
pause
noun
\ ˈpȯz
\
\