stops Meaning & Definition
What Does Stops Mean?
Stops is a verb that means to cease activity or operation. It is also used to mean to come to an end especially suddenly. As a noun, it means cessation, end.
Word Facts for Stops
| Part of speech | verb, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈstäp/ |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | boodle, chicago and michigan |
| Antonyms | carries on, continues and follows through (with) |
Stops Definition (Verb)
- to cease activity or operation
his heart stopped / the motor stopped
- to come to an end especially suddenly : close, finish
The talking stopped when she entered the room.
- to bring an activity to an end
He likes to tease but knows when to stop. / She said she was unhappy with some employees but stopped short of naming which ones. =did not say which ones
- to cease to move on : halt
They were walking away and suddenly stopped. / I stopped dead in my tracks =stopped suddenly when I saw the bear.
- pause, hesitate
He stopped to catch his breath.
- to break one's journey to eat, rest, etc. : stay
Let's stop here for lunch. / We stopped for a night in Atlanta.
- to go to a place during a journey
The tour stops in several cities.
- remain
- to make a brief call : drop in
- to become choked : clog
the sink often stops up
- to close by filling or obstructing
- to hinder or prevent the passage of
- to get in the way of : be wounded or killed by
… easy to stop a bullet along a lonely … road.
- to close up or block off (an opening) : plug
- to make impassable : choke, obstruct
- to cover over or fill in (a hole or crevice)
- to cause to give up or change a course of action
- to keep from carrying out a proposed action : restrain, prevent
stopped them from leaving
- to cause to cease : check, suppress
- discontinue
- to deduct or withhold (a sum due)
- to instruct one's bank to refuse (payment) or refuse payment of (something, such as a check)
- to arrest the progress or motion of : cause to halt
stopped the car
- parry
- to check by means of a weapon : bring down, kill
- to beat in a boxing match by a knockout
- defeat
- baffle, nonplus
- to change the pitch of (something, such as a violin string) by pressing with the finger
- to change the pitch of (a wind instrument) by closing one or more finger holes or by thrusting the hand or a mute into the bell
- to hold an honor card and enough protecting cards to be able to block (a bridge suit) before an opponent can run many tricks
Stops as a Noun
- cessation, end
brought all work to a stop / They wanted to put a stop to =end the rumors.
- a pause or breaking off in speech
- a graduated set of organ pipes of similar design and tone quality
- a corresponding set of vibrators or reeds of a reed organ
- stop knob
- a means of regulating the pitch of a musical instrument
- something that impedes, obstructs, or brings to a halt : impediment, obstacle
- the aperture of a camera lens
- a marking of a series (as of f-numbers) on a camera for indicating settings of the diaphragm
- a drain plug : stopper
- a device for arresting or limiting motion
- the act of stopping : the state of being stopped : check
Their bikes came/slowed/skidded to a stop. / She brought the car to a stop.
- a halt in a journey : stay
made a brief stop to refuel
- a stopping place
a bus stop
- any of several punctuation marks
- a pause or break in a verse that marks the end of a grammatical unit
- an order stopping payment (as of a check or note) by a bank
- stop order
- a consonant characterized by complete closure of the breath passage in the course of articulation compare continuant
- a depression in the face of an animal at the junction of forehead and muzzle
- a function of an electronic device that stops a recording
Synonyms of Stops
Antonyms of Stops
Stops in a Sentence
They agreed to meet at the bus stop.
That stop was not planned.
door stop
The organ is loudest when all the stops are pulled.
The stop in a bulldog's face is very marked.
I stopped at the traffic lights.
Soon the rain will stop.
The sight of the armed men stopped him in his tracks.
One of the wrestlers suddenly stopped fighting.
The referees stopped the fight.
He stopped the wound with gauze.
To achieve maximum depth of field, he stopped down to an f-stop of 22.
He stopped at his friend's house before continuing with his drive.
his heart stopped
the motor stopped
The talking stopped when she entered the room.
He likes to tease but knows when to stop.
She said she was unhappy with some employees but stopped short of naming which ones. =did not say which ones
They were walking away and suddenly stopped.
I stopped dead in my tracks =stopped suddenly when I saw the bear.
He stopped to catch his breath.
Let's stop here for lunch.
We stopped for a night in Atlanta.
The tour stops in several cities.
the sink often stops up
… easy to stop a bullet along a lonely … road.
stopped them from leaving
stopped the car
brought all work to a stop
They wanted to put a stop to =end the rumors.
Their bikes came/slowed/skidded to a stop.
She brought the car to a stop.
made a brief stop to refuel
a bus stop
the manufacturer will stop selling the toy and will immediately recall all the units that have already been sold
traffic was stopped for over an hour by the overturned truck
I stopped the mouse hole with plaster
the music stopped but we kept on dancing
they were eventually stopped by the best team in the league
our guide called for a stop at the trail hut so we could eat and rest a bit
had lunch on a picnic table at a shady rest stop along the highway
pulled out all the stops and presented the most spectacular show ever
put a stop to this nonsense
stop by on your way to the game so we can go there together
clear the leaves out of the rain gutters so they don't stop up the downspouts again
his heart stopped / the motor stopped
He likes to tease but knows when to stop. / She said she was unhappy with some employees but stopped short of naming which ones. =did not say which ones
They were walking away and suddenly stopped. / I stopped dead in my tracks =stopped suddenly when I saw the bear.
Let's stop here for lunch. / We stopped for a night in Atlanta.
brought all work to a stop / They wanted to put a stop to =end the rumors.
Their bikes came/slowed/skidded to a stop. / She brought the car to a stop.
Word Forms & Grammar
stopped
stop·ping
stop·pa·ble adjective
stop
stop dead in my tracks
stop dead in our tracks
stop dead in their tracks
stop dead in your tracks
stop short of
stoppable
stopped dead in her tracks
stopped dead in his tracks
stopped dead in my tracks
stopped dead in one's tracks
stopped dead in our tracks
stopped dead in their tracks
stopped dead in your tracks
stopped short of
stopping
stopping dead in her tracks
stopping dead in his tracks
stopping dead in my tracks
stopping dead in one's tracks
stopping dead in our tracks
stopping dead in their tracks
stopping dead in your tracks
stopping short of
stops
stops dead in her tracks
stops dead in his tracks
stops dead in one's tracks
stops short of
put a stop to
stop (by or in)
stop by
stop in
stop (up)
stop up
Words That Rhyme With Stops
Origin of Stops
Middle English stoppen, from Old English -stoppian, from Vulgar Latin *stuppare to stop with tow, from Latin stuppa tow, from Greek styppē
First Known Use
14th centuryt
15th century
Pronouncing Stops
The standard pronunciation of stops is /ˈstäp/, spoken in 1 syllable.
Stops: Your Questions Answered
Is stops a verb or a noun?
Stops is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun.
What is another word for stops?
You can replace stops with words such as boodle, chicago and michigan. See the full list of stops synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of stops?
The opposite of stops can be expressed with words like carries on, continues, follows through (with) and keeps up.