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Synonyms

stopwatch

American  
[stop-woch] / ˈstɒpˌwɒtʃ /

noun

  • stopwatches
    plural
  1. a watch with a hand or hands that can be stopped or started at any instant, used for precise timing, as in races.


stopwatch British  
/ ˈstɒpˌwɒtʃ /

noun

  1. a type of watch used for timing events, such as sporting events, accurately, having a device for stopping the hand or hands instantly

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of stopwatch

First recorded in 1730–40; stop + watch

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.

See Examples For:

Training was pared back on Thursday after Jaissle - stopwatch hanging from his neck - recognised the legs of his squad were "heavy".

From BBC Aug. 8, 2026

Racing against a stopwatch, a group of women folds bedsheets as they train to join an Indian startup that offers instant home services, transforming a traditionally word-of-mouth sector and promising better pay.

From Barron's Jul. 22, 2026

I may be wrong about this, I didn’t have a stopwatch, but Ms. Hynes does receive top billing over Ms. Purvis in each episode’s opening credits.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 11, 2026

The persistent, rhythmic ticking of the “60 Minutes” stopwatch is like the heartbeat of American investigative journalism.

From Salon Jun. 1, 2026

Shivering knee-deep in damp leaves that couldn't do his leg muscles much good, he readied his thumb on the button of the stopwatch.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

In the church, Ferrari and his workers have their stopwatches out to time the Maserati.

From New York Times Jan. 19, 2024

Even among the irrepressible talents of his co-stars, Perry stood out, for a rubbery, heedless way with physical comedy and a split-second timing that most stopwatches would envy.

From Seattle Times Nov. 3, 2023

Discovering how workers could perform more efficiently often meant timing their movements with stopwatches to make sure they did not attach parts or move levers inefficiently.

From Textbooks Dec. 14, 2022

Players click stopwatches hanging from their waists, calling out the time it takes for a throw to reach the target, or “house.”

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 18, 2022

As Seabiscuit streaked past the three-quarter pole, several dockers saw what was happening and jammed their thumbs down on their stopwatches.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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