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Showing results for interrupter. Search instead for Interrupt+Vector.
Synonyms

interrupter

American  
[in-tuh-ruhp-ter] / ˌɪn təˈrʌp tər /
Or interruptor

noun

  1. a person or thing that interrupts.

  2. Electricity. a device for interrupting or periodically opening and closing a circuit, as in a doorbell.


interrupter British  
/ ˌɪntəˈrʌptə /

noun

  1. a person or thing that interrupts

  2. an electromechanical device for opening and closing an electric circuit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of interrupter

First recorded in 1505–15; interrupt + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And as we’re questioning our long-held beliefs about “sink or swim” individualism and intellectual elitism, this is also an interrupter.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

“If all the violence interrupter is doing is canvassing the neighborhood three times a week, that’s not going to be enough. There needs to be more of a person-specific strategy,” Mr. Muhammad told The Times.

From Washington Times • Dec. 31, 2023

Towers, who works as a violence interrupter, said he and his colleagues face significant challenges in building trust with these communities.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2022

One of those killed was DaShawn McGrier, a Safe Streets violence interrupter, according to the Living Classrooms Foundation, a nonprofit that operates two Safe Streets sites.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 20, 2022

He fell to muttering, and eyeing the last interrupter malevolently, sat down again.

From Grit Lawless by Young, F.E. Mills

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