Stop — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun adjective /ˈstäp/

Meaning & Definition of Stop

Stop (verb)

  1. to cease activity or operation
  2. to come to an end especially suddenly, close, finish
  3. to bring an activity to an end

Stop (noun)

  1. cessation, end
  2. a pause or breaking off in speech
  3. a graduated set of organ pipes of similar design and tone quality

Stop (adjective)

  1. serving to stop, designed to stop

Stop (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: break, break off, break up, can (slang), cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, end, give over, halt, knock off, lay off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut off, 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

  2. to bring (something) to a standstill

    "traffic was stopped for over an hour by the overturned truck"

    similar: arrest, bring up, catch, check, draw up, fetch up, halt, hold up, pull up, stall, stay, still
    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

  3. to close up so that no empty spaces remain

    "I stopped the mouse hole with plaster"

    similar: block, bung, dam, fill, pack, plug, stuff
    related: choke, clog, close (off), clot, congest, jam, obstruct, occlude, caulk, chink, seal, repack, restuff
    near: excavate, hollow (out), scoop (out), shovel

  4. to come to an end

    "the music stopped but we kept on dancing"

    similar: break off, break up, cease, close, conclude, dead-end, determine, die, discontinue, elapse, end, expire, finish, go, halt, lapse, leave off, let up, pass, quit, 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

  5. to achieve a victory over

    "they were eventually stopped by the best team in the league"

    similar: beat, best, conquer, defeat, dispatch, do down (British), get, get around, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), skunk, subdue, surmount, take, trim, triumph (over), upend, win (against), worst, get the better of, knock for a loop
    related: sweep, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), annihilate, blow away, blow out, bomb, break, bury, clobber, cream, crush, drub, finish, flatten, overwhelm, rout, shellac, skin, slaughter, smoke (slang), snow under, thrash, trounce, upset, wallop, wax (slang), whip, cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, subjugate, unseat, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend
    opposite: lose (to)
    near: fall, give up, go down, go under, collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, wash out

Stop (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a brief halt in a journey

    "our guide called for a stop at the trail hut so we could eat and rest a bit"

    similar: layover, stopover
    related: break, pause, rest

  2. a regular stopping place

    "had lunch on a picnic table at a shady rest stop along the highway"

    similar: station, way station
    related: depot, terminal, layover, stopover, outstation

  3. something that makes movement or progress difficult

    "pulled out all the stops and presented the most spectacular show ever"

    similar: balk, bar, block, chain, clog, cramp, crimp, deterrent, drag, embarrassment, encumbrance, fetter, handicap, hindrance, holdback, hurdle, impediment, inhibition, interference, let, manacle, obstacle, obstruction, shackles, stumbling block, trammel
    related: catch, hitch, rub, snag, barrier, blockade, blockage, brick wall, stone wall, arrest, bit, brake, check, constraint, curb, hobble, rein, restraint, embargo, stoppage, delay, holdup, stall, burden, cumber, load, danger, hazard, peril, reef, adversity, difficulty, disadvantage, drawback, hardship
    near: catalyst, goad, impetus, incentive, spur, stimulant, stimulus, advantage, break, edge, aid, assistance, benefit, boost, handmaiden, help

  4. the stopping of a process or activity

    "put a stop to this nonsense"

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

Related Entry: Stop (by or in) (verb)

Stop (by or in) is a different word from Stop. The synonyms below are for stop (by or in), not for stop.

  1. to make a brief visit

    "stop by on your way to the game so we can go there together"

    similar: call, come by, come over, drop by, drop in, pop (in), run (over), run in, step in, visit
    related: barge (in), look up, see, bop (into), happen (by), frequent, hang (at), haunt, resort (to)

Related Entry: Stop (up) (verb)

Stop (up) is a different word from Stop. The synonyms below are for stop (up), not for stop.

  1. to prevent passage through by filling with something

    "clear the leaves out of the rain gutters so they don't stop up the downspouts again"

    similar: block, choke, clog, clot, congest, dam, gum (up), jam, obstruct, occlude, plug (up), stuff
    related: bung, cork, spile, stopper, stopple, fill, gridlock, pack, fur, silt, flood, glut, inundate, overwhelm, swamp
    opposite: clear, free, open (up), unblock, unclog, unplug, unstop
    near: excavate, hollow (out), scoop (out), empty, lighten

Related Entry: Stop (by) (verb)

Stop (by) is a different word from Stop. The synonyms below are for stop (by), not for stop.

  1. as in run in, step in

    similar: come by, come over, drop by, drop in, run in, step in, crash, sojourn, stay, tarry, visit, frequent, hang (around or out), haunt, inhabit, occupy
    opposite: abide, dwell, live, reside

Related Entry: Stop (over) (verb)

Stop (over) is a different word from Stop. The synonyms below are for stop (over), not for stop.

  1. as in stay (at), camp (out in)

    similar: camp (out in), sojourn (at), stay (at), tarry (in), call (on or upon), drop by, drop in, pop (in), run (in), stop (by or in), infest, invade, overrun, swarm, attend, take in, patronize, affect, frequent, habituate, hang (at), haunt, resort (to), visit
    opposite: avoid, shun, dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, shake

Related Entry: Whistle-stop (noun)

Whistle-stop is a different word from Stop. The synonyms below are for whistle-stop, not for stop.

  1. a small residential settlement

    "for that all-important primary election, candidates are willing to go to every whistle-stop in the state"

    similar: bourg, hamlet, townlet, vill, village
    related: cow town, Podunk, outpost

Related Entry: Mixture (noun)

Mixture is a different word from Stop. The synonyms below are for mixture, not for stop.

  1. a distinct entity formed by the combining of two or more different things

    "add eggs to the mixture of dry ingredients"

    similar: admixture, alloy, amalgam, amalgamation, blend, cocktail, combination, composite, compound, conflation, emulsion, fusion, intermixture, meld, mix, synthesis
    related: half-and-half, absorption, blending, coalescence, coalition, commingling, commixture, compost, concretion, homogenization, immingling, immixture, incorporation, integration, interfusion, intermingling, mergence, merger, merging, mingling, assortment, hash, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, jumble, medley, mélange, mishmash, motley, patchwork, potpourri, variety, accumulation, aggregation, conglomeration
    near: component, constituent, element, ingredient

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Stop

The most common words with a similar meaning to Stop:

Slang: can
British: do down
break, break off, break up, cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, end, give over, halt, knock off, lay off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut off, arrest, bring up, catch, check, draw up, fetch up, hold up, pull up, stall, stay, still, block, bung, dam, fill, pack, plug, stuff, close, conclude, dead-end, determine

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Stop

Words with the opposite meaning of Stop:

continue, hang on, persist, lose (to), continuance, continuation

Related Words for Stop

complete, close (down), deactivate, blockade, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem, call, suspend, brake, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch, stunt, suppress, turn back, pause, abolish, abort, annul, demolish

Near Antonyms of Stop

carry on, follow through (with), keep up, run on, advance, proceed, progress, actuate, drive, impel, propel, stir, keep (on), fare, go along, march, move, wend, budge, goad, push, spur, excavate, hollow (out), scoop (out), shovel, draw out, extend, prolong, protract

Word Forms of Stop

Inflections: stopped, stopping

Derived words: stoppable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Stop

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

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Stop

Words & Phrases Containing Stop

stop-action, stop-and-go, stop at nothing, stop bath, stop down, stop knob, stop-motion

Frequently Asked Questions about Stop

What does "Stop" mean?

"Stop" means to cease activity or operation. As an a verb, a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: to cease activity or operation. It has 9 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Stop"?

Other words for "Stop" include break, break off, break up, can, cease, cut off, cut out and desist (from). The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Stop" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Stop"?

There are 274 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Stop". Common alternatives include break, break off, break up, can, cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue and drop.

What is the opposite of "Stop"?

Antonyms of "Stop" include continue, hang on, persist, lose (to), continuance and continuation. Near antonyms include carry on, follow through (with), keep up and run on.

How do you use "Stop" in a sentence?

Examples of "Stop" in a sentence: "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".

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

"Stop" can be used as a verb, a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Stop" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Stop" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Stop"?

"Stop" is pronounced /ˈstäp/.