as in hesitating
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
he paused for a moment to regain his composure
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Recent Examples of pausing
The trio pulled up on e-bikes, drove up to the entrance of the Information Center and began shouting and taking pictures, pausing to take drags off a vape while peering through the shuttered doors.
—
James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
This summer, Delta is trimming its flight schedule by reducing flight frequencies and pausing seasonal routes across its domestic, transatlantic, and Latin American markets.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
This could mean lowering your monthly payment, extending your repayment timeline or temporarily pausing contributions to your debt settlement fund.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
But in 1999 the AAP recommended pausing the birth dose in babies born to mothers who tested negative for hepatitis B, because of concerns at the time about the vaccine preservative thimerosal.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026
After pausing negotiations to make way for the WGA in March, SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP will resume talks on Monday morning as planned.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2026
For breathwork, Yasinksi recommends inhaling for four seconds, pausing for four seconds at the top, and then exhaling slowly.
—Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 23 Apr. 2026
To sharpen this focus, the agency is pausing the orbital Gateway Program, redirecting all resources toward establishing a permanent surface base at the lunar south pole.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
At-large councilwoman Dimple Ajmera proposed pausing all data center approvals near residential communities until the city has clear standards.
—Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
This summer, Delta is trimming its flight schedule by reducing flight frequencies and pausing seasonal routes across its domestic, transatlantic, and Latin American markets.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
This could mean lowering your monthly payment, extending your repayment timeline or temporarily pausing contributions to your debt settlement fund.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
But in 1999 the AAP recommended pausing the birth dose in babies born to mothers who tested negative for hepatitis B, because of concerns at the time about the vaccine preservative thimerosal.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026
After pausing negotiations to make way for the WGA in March, SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP will resume talks on Monday morning as planned.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2026
For breathwork, Yasinksi recommends inhaling for four seconds, pausing for four seconds at the top, and then exhaling slowly.
—Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 23 Apr. 2026
To sharpen this focus, the agency is pausing the orbital Gateway Program, redirecting all resources toward establishing a permanent surface base at the lunar south pole.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
At-large councilwoman Dimple Ajmera proposed pausing all data center approvals near residential communities until the city has clear standards.
—Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pausing
hesitating
Verb
-
Trump has criticized European countries for rejecting or hesitating to get involved in the war with Iran.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The Academy seems comfortable celebrating individual excellence within horror while hesitating to crown its films as definitive achievements.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pausing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pausing. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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