Also called stop frame. the process of filming puppets and other objects one frame at a time while incrementally moving or modifying them, giving the illusion of lifelike motion when the captured film frames are viewed in rapid sequence (often used attributively): a stop-motion film.
stop-motion animation;
a stop-motion film.
Also called stop action. a special effect in cinematography, carried out while shooting, in which the performers stop their motion and the camera is stopped while an object or performer is added to or removed from the scene, with camera movement and action then resumed for the remainder of the scene: used to create an illusion of sudden appearance or disappearance of persons or objects (often used attributively).
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The breakup of a plate doesn't just stop motion -- it reshapes the planet.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2025
“I don’t think stop motion will ever be as big as cel or computers,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2024
Rebecca Atkinson is hoping her stop motion creation, Mixmups, is going to be just that.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2023
“Anytime you’re doing something like that, which was unknown: stop motion, the main character doesn’t have any eyeballs and it’s all music, what’s to feel comfortable about?”
From New York Times ● Oct. 25, 2023
Operating procedure when a storm hits is to stop motion and wait for the storm to pass.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
When it comes to stop-motion in particular, consumers “realize how painstaking it is, how every frame has to be individually thought out,” Hahn said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
“The whole last year, we’ve been nonstop booked,” said Shel Rasch, co-founder of Oregon-based stop-motion studio Stunt Puppet Pictures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
"Wildwood," a stop-motion animation tale from Laika Studios about a young girl who ventures into an enchanted forest to rescue her kidnapped brother, held in third place with $7.5 million.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
For many, stop-motion holds a real nostalgia, Henderson said — another theme of the show, dovetailing with Michael’s yearning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
He’d relaxed into his normal self now and was describing the new stop-motion video he was in the middle of making.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
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