Halts — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈhȯlt/

Meaning & Definition of Halts

Halts (verb)

  1. to cease marching or journeying
  2. discontinue, terminate
  3. to bring to a stop
  4. to walk or proceed with a limp
  5. to be in a state of uncertainty or doubt between alternate courses or choices, waver
  6. to display weakness or imperfection, falter

Halts (noun)

  1. stop

Halts (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to bring (something) to a standstill

    "traffic was halted by the parade"

    similar: arrests, brings up, catches, checks, draws up, fetches up, holds up, pulls up, stalls, stays, stills, stops
    related: baffles, balks, blockades, blocks, bottlenecks, clogs, dams, detains, hinders, holds, holds back, impedes, obstructs, snags, stems, concludes, cuts off, ends, terminates, calls, discontinues, suspends, chokes off, reins (in), represses, squashes, squelches, stanches, stunts, suppresses, turns back
    near: carries on, continues, follows through (with), keeps (on), keeps up, persists, runs on, advances, fares, goes along, marches, moves, proceeds, progresses, wends, actuates, budges, drives, goads, impels, propels, pushes, spurs, stirs

  2. to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

    "the private eye abruptly halted his surveillance of the building upon being spotted by his subject"

    similar: breaks, breaks off, breaks up, cans (slang), ceases, cuts off, cuts out, desists (from), discontinues, drops, ends, gives over, knocks off, lays off, leaves off, packs (up or in), quits, shuts off, stops, has done with, puts the kibosh on
    related: completes, concludes, finishes, closes (down), deactivates, blockades, blocks, dams, delays, detains, hinders, holds, holds back, impedes, kiboshes, obstructs, stems, calls, suspends, arrests, brakes, checks, clamps down, reins (in), squashes, squelches, stamps, stanches, stunts, suppresses, turns back, pauses, stays, abolishes, aborts, annuls, demolishes, destroys, dissolves, kills, ruins, scuttles, snuffs
    near: carries on, continues, follows through (with), keeps up, runs on, advances, proceeds, progresses, actuates, drives, impels, propels, stirs

  3. to come to an end

    "all filming halted when the star of the movie quit in a huff"

    similar: breaks off, breaks up, ceases, closes, concludes, dead-ends, determines, dies, discontinues, elapses, ends, expires, finishes, goes, lapses, leaves off, lets up, passes, quits, stops, terminates, winds up, winks (out), bites the dust
    related: desists (from), lays off (of), refrains (from), gives over (British), knocks off, packs (up or in), breaks down, conks (out), cuts out, stalls, pauses, stays, suspends, abates, peters (out), winds down
    opposite: continues, hangs on, persists
    near: draws out, extends, prolongs, protracts

  4. to walk while favoring one leg

    "even with her twisted ankle, she managed to halt along and complete her Walk for Peace"

    similar: hobbles, limps
    related: hitches, blunders, falters, flounders, lurches, shambles, shuffles, staggers, stumbles, teeters, totters, wavers, wobbles, dodders
    opposite: strides
    near: breezes, glides, sails

  5. to show uncertainty about the right course of action

    "she was often confused, halting between the responsibilities of her job and the demands of her home life"

    similar: balances, dithers, falters, hangs back, hesitates, scruples, shilly-shallies, staggers, teeters, vacillates, wavers, wobbles
    related: haws, hems, dallies, dawdles, delays, lingers, pauses, procrastinates, waits, backs down, chickens (out), considers, debates, deliberates, ponders, weighs, oscillates, sways, equivocates, hedges, pussyfoots, waffles
    opposite: dives (in), plunges (in)
    near: decides, budges, stirs, advances, continues

Halts (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in

    "negotiations are at a halt, with neither management nor the union budging on the issue of salary limits"

    similar: deadlocks, gridlocks, impasses, logjams, Mexican standoffs, stalemates, standoffs, standstills
    related: dead ends, binds, bottlenecks, corners, dilemmas, fixes, holes, jams, morasses, pickles, pinches, plights, predicaments, quagmires, quandaries, spots, difficulties, problems

  2. the stopping of a process or activity

    "gardening came to a halt during the week of solid rain"

    similar: arrestments, arrests, ceases, cessations, checks, closedowns, closes, closures, conclusions, cutoffs, discontinuances, discontinuations, endings, ends, expirations, finishes, lapses, offsets, shutdowns, shutoffs, stays, stoppages, stops, surceases, terminations
    related: mop-ups, phaseouts, abeyances, breaks, interruptions, layoffs, letups, moratoriums, pauses, standstills, suspensions
    opposite: continuances, continuations
    near: extensions, persistences, prolongations

Related Entry: Halt (verb)

Halt is a different word from Halts. The synonyms below are for halt, not for halts.

  1. to bring (something) to a standstill

    "traffic was halted by the parade"

    similar: arrest, bring up, catch, check, draw up, fetch up, hold up, pull up, stall, stay, still, stop
    related: baffle, balk, block, blockade, bottleneck, clog, dam, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, obstruct, snag, stem, conclude, cut off, end, terminate, call, discontinue, suspend, choke off, rein (in), repress, squash, squelch, stanch, stunt, suppress, turn back
    near: carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep (on), keep up, persist, run on, advance, fare, go along, march, move, proceed, progress, wend, actuate, budge, drive, goad, impel, propel, push, spur, stir

  2. to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

    "the private eye abruptly halted his surveillance of the building upon being spotted by his subject"

    similar: break, break off, break up, can (slang), cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, end, give over, knock off, lay off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut off, stop, have done with, put the kibosh on
    related: complete, conclude, finish, close (down), deactivate, block, blockade, dam, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem, call, suspend, arrest, brake, check, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch, stunt, suppress, turn back, pause, stay, abolish, abort, annul, demolish, destroy, dissolve, kill, ruin, scuttle, snuff
    near: carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep up, run on, advance, proceed, progress, actuate, drive, impel, propel, stir

  3. to come to an end

    "all filming halted when the star of the movie quit in a huff"

    similar: break off, break up, cease, close, conclude, dead-end, determine, die, discontinue, elapse, end, expire, finish, go, lapse, leave off, let up, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up, wink (out), bite the dust
    related: desist (from), lay off (of), refrain (from), give over (British), knock off, pack (up or in), break down, conk (out), cut out, stall, pause, stay, suspend, abate, peter (out), wind down
    opposite: continue, hang on, persist
    near: draw out, extend, prolong, protract

Related Entry: Halt (verb)

Halt is a different word from Halts. The synonyms below are for halt, not for halts.

  1. to walk while favoring one leg

    "even with her twisted ankle, she managed to halt along and complete her Walk for Peace"

    similar: hobble, limp
    related: hitch, blunder, falter, flounder, lurch, shamble, shuffle, stagger, stumble, teeter, totter, waver, wobble, dodder
    opposite: stride
    near: breeze, glide, sail

  2. to show uncertainty about the right course of action

    "she was often confused, halting between the responsibilities of her job and the demands of her home life"

    similar: balance, dither, falter, hang back, hesitate, scruple, shilly-shally, stagger, teeter, vacillate, waver, wobble
    related: haw, hem, dally, dawdle, delay, linger, pause, procrastinate, wait, back down, chicken (out), consider, debate, deliberate, ponder, weigh, oscillate, sway, equivocate, hedge, pussyfoot, waffle
    opposite: dive (in), plunge (in)
    near: decide, budge, stir, advance, continue

Related Entry: Halt (noun)

Halt is a different word from Halts. The synonyms below are for halt, not for halts.

  1. a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in

    "negotiations are at a halt, with neither management nor the union budging on the issue of salary limits"

    similar: deadlock, gridlock, impasse, logjam, Mexican standoff, stalemate, standoff, standstill
    related: dead end, bind, bottleneck, corner, dilemma, fix, hole, jam, morass, pickle, pinch, plight, predicament, quagmire, quandary, spot, difficulty, problem

  2. the stopping of a process or activity

    "gardening came to a halt during the week of solid rain"

    similar: arrest, arrestment, cease, cessation, check, close, closedown, closure, conclusion, cutoff, discontinuance, discontinuation, end, ending, expiration, finish, lapse, offset, shutdown, shutoff, stay, stop, stoppage, surcease, termination
    related: mop-up, phaseout, abeyance, break, interruption, layoff, letup, moratorium, pause, standstill, suspension
    opposite: continuance, continuation
    near: extension, persistence, prolongation

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Halts

The most common words with a similar meaning to Halts:

Slang: cans
arrests, brings up, catches, checks, draws up, fetches up, holds up, pulls up, stalls, stays, stills, stops, breaks, breaks off, breaks up, ceases, cuts off, cuts out, desists (from), discontinues, drops, ends, gives over, knocks off, lays off, leaves off, packs (up or in), quits, shuts off, closes, concludes, dead-ends, determines, dies, elapses, expires, finishes, goes, lapses, lets up

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Halts

Words with the opposite meaning of Halts:

continues, hangs on, persists, strides, dives (in), plunges (in), continuances, continuations

Related Words for Halts

baffles, balks, blockades, blocks, bottlenecks, clogs, dams, detains, hinders, holds, holds back, impedes, obstructs, snags, stems, calls, suspends, chokes off, reins (in), represses, squashes, squelches, stanches, stunts, suppresses, turns back, completes, closes (down), deactivates, delays

Near Antonyms of Halts

carries on, follows through (with), keeps (on), keeps up, runs on, advances, fares, goes along, marches, moves, proceeds, progresses, wends, actuates, budges, drives, goads, impels, propels, pushes, spurs, stirs, draws out, extends, prolongs, protracts, breezes, glides, sails, decides

Word Forms of Halts

Inflections: halted, halting

Origin & Etymology of Halts

derivative of halt:2

First known use: 1656i

Frequently Asked Questions about Halts

What does "Halts" mean?

"Halts" means to cease marching or journeying. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to cease marching or journeying. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Halts"?

Other words for "Halts" include arrests, brings up, catches, checks, draws up, fetches up, holds up and pulls up. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Halts" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Halts"?

There are 192 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Halts". Common alternatives include arrests, brings up, catches, checks, draws up, fetches up, holds up, pulls up, stalls and stays.

What is the opposite of "Halts"?

Antonyms of "Halts" include continues, hangs on, persists, strides, dives (in), plunges (in), continuances and continuations. Near antonyms include carries on, follows through (with), keeps (on) and keeps up.

How do you use "Halts" in a sentence?

Examples of "Halts" in a sentence: "traffic was halted by the parade"; "the private eye abruptly halted his surveillance of the building upon being spotted by his subject"; "all filming halted when the star of the movie quit in a huff".

Is "Halts" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Halts" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Halts"?

"Halts" is pronounced /ˈhȯlt/.

What is the origin of the word "Halts"?

"Halts" comes from derivative of halt:2. First known use: 1656i.