PAUSING Synonyms: 24 Similar and Opposite Words

pausing

verb

present participle of pause

as in hesitating

to come to a temporary halt in one's activity he paused for a moment to regain his composure

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pausing Beijing — Already harrowing rescue efforts along the China-Nepal border are being complicated by the risk of new flooding or landslides, with authorities in China and Nepal pausing rescue efforts Friday due to those fears. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 Some couples and families even choose a code word that means the conversation is pausing, Wilson says—not that the relationship is disappearing. — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026 The federal government responded to the audit's preliminary findings by abruptly pausing in December the millions of dollars in MEP funding Ohio receives. — CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 Although the Colorado ruling stated players would not be allowed to enter the transfer portal, a federal appeal court granted the NCAA a temporary stay on the Colorado court order Friday, pausing the nationwide injunction. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 The rapid pace exhausts hitters, and even has viewers pausing their TVs to catch their breath. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 In July, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order establishing the nation’s first year-long moratorium on large data centers, effectively pausing the development of new facilities in the state. — Ashley Capoot,garrett Downs, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 Kathy Hochul of New York and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, have recently signed new orders limiting or pausing the developing of some types of data centers. — Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026 Tolle said, pausing for a moment to ask a Red Sox communications staffer if he was allowed to say that. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pausing

hesitating

Verb

Fertilizer is often bought months ahead of planting, so hesitating in the fall can mean less goes on the ground in the spring.

— Jayash Paudel, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Cueto was known for hesitating while in his pitching motion, or wiggling on the mound.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026