stop synonyms

stop

interj.

cease, knock it off, cut it out, quit it, say, hey there; see also halt 2.

stop

n.

  1. A pause

    halt, stay, standstill; see end 2, pause 1, 2.

  2. A stopping place

    station, passenger station, wayside stop; see depot.

pull out all the stops*

go the limit, do everything possible, give it all one has*; see try 1, work 1.

put a stop to

halt, interrupt, intervene; see stop 1.

stop

v.

  1. To halt

    pause, stay, stand, lay over, stay over, break the journey, tarry, stand still, shut down, rest, discontinue, come to a halt, come to a standstill, pull up, reach a standstill, check, bivouac, cease marching, hold, stop dead in one's tracks*, stop short*, freeze*, freeze up*, call it a day*, stymie*, box in*, knock on the head*, cut short*; see also end 1.

    Antonyms continue*, proceed*, advance. *

  2. To cease

    cease, terminate, finish, conclude, quit, withdraw, leave off, let up, pull up, fold up, fetch up, wind up, bring up, relinquish, have done with, desist, refrain, ring down, settle, discontinue, end, close, draw up, tie up, give up, call off, bring up, close down, break up, hold up, pull up, lapse, be at an end, cut out, die away, come off, go out, stay one's hand, run out, defect, surrender, close, peter out*, call it a day*, knock it off*, lay off*, throw in the towel*, belay that*, blow over*, melt away*, drop it*, run out*, write off*, pipe down*, save one's breath*, give over*, run its course*; see also halt 2, suspend 2.

    Antonyms begin*, start*, commence. *

  3. To prevent

    hinder, obstruct, arrest; see prevent.

  4. To cause to cease

    arrest, check, suspend; see halt 2.

stop implies a suspension or ending of some motion, action, or progress my watch stopped; cease implies a suspension or ending of some state or condition or of an existence the war had ceased, the noise ceased when the train stopped; quit is equivalent to either stopshe quit working for the day or ceasehe quit working at sixty-five and retired to Florida; discontinue suggests the suspension of some action that is a habitual practice, an occupation, etc. he has discontinued the practice of law; desist implies a ceasing of some action that is annoying, harmful, futile, etc. desist from further bickering

Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.