halt

¹ American  

[hawlt] / hɔlt /

verb (used without object)

1. to stop; cease moving, operating, etc., either permanently or temporarily.

   They halted for lunch and strolled about.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause to stop temporarily or permanently; bring to a stop.

   They halted operations during contract negotiations.

noun

1. a temporary or permanent stop.

   Synonyms:

   stoppage, stoppage, stop, stop, standstill, suspension, suspension, cessation

interjection

1. (used as a command to stop and stand motionless, as to marching troops or to a fleeing suspect.)

halt ² American  

[hawlt] / hɔlt /

verb (used without object)

1. to falter, as in speech, reasoning, etc.; be hesitant; stumble.

2. to be in doubt; waver between alternatives; vacillate.

3. Archaic. to be lame; walk lamely; limp.

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adjective

1. Archaic. lame; limping.

noun

1. Archaic. lameness; a limp.

2. (used with a plural verb) lame people, especially severely lamed ones (usually preceded bythe ).

   the halt and the blind.

halt ¹ British  

/ hɔːlt /

verb

1. (esp of logic or verse) to falter or be defective

2. to waver or be unsure

3. archaic to be lame

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adjective

1. archaic

   1. lame

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the halt

noun

1. archaic lameness

halt ² British  

/ hɔːlt /

noun

1. an interruption or end to activity, movement, or progress

2. a minor railway station, without permanent buildings

3. to put an end (to something); stop

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noun

1. a command to halt, esp as an order when marching

verb

1. to come or bring to a halt

halt Idioms  

1. see call a halt; come to a halt; grind to a halt.

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Related Words

See stop.

Other Word Forms

• haltless adjective

Etymology

Origin of halt¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from the phrase make halt for German halt machen; hold ¹

Origin of halt²

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English healt; cognate with Old High German halz, Old Norse haltr, Gothic halts, akin to Latin clādēs “damage, loss”

Example Sentences

Now that the Magnificent Seven has definitively weakened and violated a key support level, the next question is whether the decline can be halted at its 200-day moving average.

From MarketWatch

NJ Transit suspended bus, light rail and paratransit services Sunday evening and said rail service would halt by 9 p.m.

From The Wall Street Journal

While Blue Owl halted redemptions on the private fund, last week it sold $1.4 billion in loans across several private funds, with the proceeds being distributed to shareholders and used to pay down company debt.

From Barron's

In Connecticut, which along with New York and New Jersey comprises the metropolitan Tri-state area, Governor Ned Lamont signed an emergency order halting all commercial vehicles from traveling on highways across the state.

From BBC

While visitors once flocked to the town to enjoy its hot springs, the eruption of Mount Usu in 1977 brought tourism in the area to an abrupt halt.

From Barron's

Related Words

• adjourn
• arrest
• bar
• block
• break off
• cease
• curb
• deter
• end
• hamper
• impede
• interrupt
• stall
• stem
• stop
• suspend
• terminate