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Synonyms

whistle stop

1 American  

noun

  1. a small, unimportant town, especially one along a railroad line.

  2. a short talk from the rear platform of a train, especially during a political campaign.

  3. a brief appearance, single performance, or the like, in a small town, as during a political campaign or theatrical tour.

whistle-stop 2 American  
[hwis-uhl-stop, wis-] / ˈʰwɪs əlˌstɒp, ˈwɪs- /

verb (used without object)

whistle-stopped, whistle-stopping

  1. to campaign for political office by traveling around the country, originally by train, stopping at small communities to address voters.

  2. to take a trip consisting of several brief, usually overnight, stops.

adjective

  1. occurring at a whistle stop; consisting of whistle stops.

    a whistle-stop speech; a whistle-stop tour of the Northwest.
whistle stop British  

noun

    1. a minor railway station where trains stop only on signal

    2. a small town having such a station

    1. a brief appearance in a town, esp by a political candidate to make a speech, shake hands, etc

    2. ( as modifier )

      a whistle-stop tour
"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

verb

  1. (intr) to campaign for office by visiting many small towns to give short speeches

"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

Etymology

Origin of whistle stop1

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Origin of whistle-stop2

First recorded in 1950–55

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.

For decades it was a destination as opposed to a whistle stop on the way to a national championship.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2025

India's president has made a whistle stop tour of an island earmarked for multi-billion dollar development that experts warn could wipe out the indigenous tribe which calls it home.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2024

Passengers from miles around traveled to the little Nippeno whistle stop with their freight and cattle to catch the train.

From Slate • Dec. 4, 2017

In 1981, they invited Baker to Princeton for a chance to perform the experiments, one whistle stop on a reproducibility tour of several U.S. campuses in the Northeast.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 23, 2016

Lansdale was too small even to be called a "whistle stop," because no trains came near it.

From The Blue Ghost Mystery by Goodwin, Harold L. (Harold Leland)

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.