timeout

American  

[tahym-out] / ˈtaɪmˈaʊt /

Or time-out

noun

timeouts plural

1. a brief suspension of activity; intermission or break.

2. Sports. a short interruption in a regular period of play during which a referee or other official stops the clock so that the players may rest, deliberate, make substitutions, etc.

3. a short time alone used as a punishment or consequence for a child who is misbehaving.

4. Computers.

   1. the termination of a process or event that is taking longer than expected to proceed, and that is more likely to be successful if relaunched, resubmitted, etc.

   2. the severing of an online connection after a period of inactivity, as when a user is logged out of a secure session on a webpage after a fixed period of time.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• timeouts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of timeout

First recorded in 1870–75; time ( def. ) + out ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

timeout timeouts

Against Auger-Aliassime, an innocuous slide to a backhand led to him tweaking his left calf and needing a medical timeout.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

The former captain, who sprinted on to the field to congratulate her players during the timeout after Ecclestone's first catch, has calmly quietened talk of the issue.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

The effectiveness of the measure at the World Cup is open to debate, as there will be a three-minute hydration break in each half, creating a natural timeout for coaches.

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

The Lakers called another timeout to set up another play with their season on the line.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

The world will give you that once in a while, a brief timeout; the boxing bell rings and you go to your corner, where somebody dabs mercy on your beat-up life.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

He later had medical timeouts and used ice towels and water to try to cool himself during changes of ends.

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

Spain's Alcaraz seemed to be cramping at 5-4 in the third set and was allowed to see the physio, even though Grand Slam rules say players are not allowed medical timeouts for muscle spasms.

From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026

Medical timeouts are not permitted solely for muscle cramping.

From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026

Leading the Indianapolis Colts 15-13 with a minute to play, it was curious when Seattle coach Mike Macdonald started using his timeouts with Indianapolis’s offense barely over midfield at the 49 yard-line.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025

My demands resulted only in timeouts, where I anxiously bit my fingernails.

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