Showing results for "time-out"

• a variation of timeout.

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• time-out
  time-out

  noun

  sport an interruption in play during which players rest, discuss tactics, or make substitutions
• time out
  time out

  A short break from work or play; also, a punishment for misbehavior in young children in which they are briefly separated from the group. For example, People rush around so much these days that I think everyone should take some time out now and then, or We don't throw food, Brian; you need some time out to think about it. This expression comes from a number of sports in which it signifies an interruption in play where the officials stop the clock, for purposes of rest, making a substitution, or consultation. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

time-out

British  

noun

1. sport an interruption in play during which players rest, discuss tactics, or make substitutions

2. a break taken during working hours

3. computing a condition occurring when the amount of time a computer has been instructed to wait for another device to perform a task has expired, usually indicated by an error message

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verb

1. (intr) (of a computer) to stop operating because of a time-out

time out Idioms  

1. A short break from work or play; also, a punishment for misbehavior in young children in which they are briefly separated from the group. For example, People rush around so much these days that I think everyone should take some time out now and then, or We don't throw food, Brian; you need some time out to think about it. This expression comes from a number of sports in which it signifies an interruption in play where the officials stop the clock, for purposes of rest, making a substitution, or consultation. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

time-out time out

Calling for time-out as accusations flew and tempers flared, faithful John said: "Everyone stop talking just for 10 seconds and sit down, we've all gone from zero to 1,000 and it's just gone crazy."

From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026

The Tunisian took a medical time-out in the first set, during which she had her blood pressure taken and had an ice towel draped around her neck.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025

“When we finally got let out of our collective time-out corner, we really wanted to go do stuff,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2025

Samuel helps Romy off the floor and positions her in the corner of the room, like a child in time-out.

From Salon ● Dec. 30, 2024

A favorite trick of his was putting the time-out trash can on his head, then blindly knocking into walls.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

She says it's important to take time out, put work away, and spend one-on-one time with your children.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

One time out of a million the press might choose to lie or cover up the truth for what it considers higher reasons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

“We call a time out, point out the bat, and the ump comes over and says, ‘Oh yeah, that’s illegal’… It counts as an out and we win the game.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

I saw their big win over Uzbekistan last time out, but this will be far tougher.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

General Dreedle wanted his men to spend as much time out on the skeet-shooting range as the facilities and their flight schedule would allow.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Related Words

• breather
• letup
• lull