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• show-stopper
  show-stopper

  noun

  a performer, performance, or musical number that wins enthusiastic or prolonged applause.
• show stopper
  show stopper

  noun

  a stage act, etc, that receives so much applause as to interrupt the performance

show-stopper

American  

[shoh-stop-er] / ˈʃoʊˌstɒp ər /

Or showstopper

noun

1. 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.

2. a spectacularly arresting or appealing person or thing.

   This bright plaid suit is a real show-stopper.

3. 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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show stopper British  

noun

1. informal a stage act, etc, that receives so much applause as to interrupt the performance

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Other Word Forms

• show-stopping
  adjective
• showstopping
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of show-stopper

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

show-stopper show stopper

The dip pairs exceptionally well with tortilla chips and salsa, but it can also be enjoyed with baguette slices and apples — the perfect dinner party show-stopper.

From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2024

“It was the most effective show-stopper I ever came up with,” he wrote unrepentantly in his 1999 memoir, “What’s Welsh for Zen.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2023

He said if the issue was frailty, then xenotransplantation "could be successful in the future" but if it came down to anatomy then it could "be potentially a show-stopper".

From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2022

Befitting the impresario, the property is a big, modern show-stopper, from its lush green driveway off Sunset Boulevard to its 6,500 square feet of meeting and event space.

From New York Times ● Feb. 22, 2020

Pippen appeared in the 1990 slam dunk contest but didn’t make it out of the first round partly because the judges were relatively unimpressed by his show-stopper: a dunk from the foul line.

From Slate ● Feb. 17, 2020

While stumbling over the lyrics to “Matchmaker,” “Fiddler” cast members suddenly appeared on stage, performing the song with him; they closed down the number with a rousing rendition of the show stopper “Tradition.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026

But it all came down to the show stopper to see who would take the crown.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2018

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Overall, this pom-pom case is a show stopper.

From The Verge ● Oct. 9, 2017

"It definitely is a show stopper, especially in the mall with kids. Some say things like 'Wow, look at Robocop!'"

From US News ● Dec. 17, 2015

She tried her health-conscious version of the classical Chinese dish, and ended up with something that is clearly a show stopper.

From The Perdue Chicken Cookbook by Mitzi Perdue