noun
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the act of stopping or the state of being stopped
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something that stops or blocks
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a deduction of money, as from pay
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an organized cessation of work, as during a strike
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of stoppage
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at stop, -age
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:
The looming work stoppage serves as an ominous backdrop to a playoff tournament brimming with narratives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
The UK is in talks with US authorities over a potential stoppage of diesel exports and has started preparing for a ban, Chancellor John Healey has told BBC News.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
He has spent most of the past nine months recovering from the injury, while Van successfully defended his title once against Tatsuro Taira in May, winning by stoppage in the final round.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Chilean copper producer Antofagasta reduced its production forecast after a freak storm deposited 5 million cubic meters of snow into its Los Pelambres mine in July, causing a stoppage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
It encouraged the leaders of twenty-four separate steel worker craft unions to come together under the banner of the AFL and stage a national work stoppage.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
The robots can be thwarted by something as simple as dust buildup, and stoppages can create a cascade of other problems, said some of the people familiar with the situation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
The company has experienced no equipment-related production stoppages since 2014, they say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
They include food shortages, water contamination, plumbing stoppages, lost mail, and mental health decay, spurring some crew members to jump ship.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
In Delhi, many mid-block crossings have been replaced by U-turns to reduce stoppages, forcing pedestrians onto foot overbridges.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
I can’t believe this: smashing fishbowls and threatening work stoppages is doing great?
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
