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show-stopper
or show·stop·per
[ shoh-stop-er ]
/ ˈʃoʊˌstɒp ər /
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noun
Theater. a performer, performance, or musical number that wins enthusiastic or prolonged applause: The singer proves that she is simply a show-stopper after her resoundingly successful debut.
a spectacularly arresting or appealing person or thing: This bright plaid suit is a real show-stopper.
a significant obstacle or problem, especially one halting a process already underway: The bug was a show-stopper, delaying the game's release by months.
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Origin of show-stopper
First recorded in 1945–50
OTHER WORDS FROM show-stopper
show-stop·ping, show·stop·ping, adjectiveWords nearby show-stopper
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use show-stopper in a sentence
On the show-stopper "Turn It Off," sung by a closeted missionary struggling with his sexuality.
This is an effortless show-stopper and the leftovers make for fabulous sandwiches, too.
British Dictionary definitions for show-stopper
show stopper
noun
informal a stage act, etc, that receives so much applause as to interrupt the performance
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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