noun / verb

halt

HAWLT/hɔːlt/

A stop in movement or activity, or the act of stopping it.

The traffic worker's raised palm brings the approaching cyclist to a halt.

A traffic worker raises one clear palm to halt an approaching cyclist, cyclist stopping safely.

Etymology

The underlying verb meant “hold”; its command form became a military order to stop. From that command came the noun meaning a stop, and then the verb meaning to stop or bring to a stop.

In context

TED4:57

So when you're tempted to halt the innovation that might compete for your job

I’ll Probably Lose My Job to AI. Here’s Why That’s OK | Megan J. McArdle | TED

More examples

Heavy rain halted work on the roof.
The hikers halt at the edge of the stream.
Negotiations grind to a halt over money.

Forms

halt · halts · halted · halting

Similar words

stop: The more everyday term for ending movement or activity.
pause: Usually suggests a temporary stop followed by a resumption.
suspend: Means stopping an activity temporarily, often by official decision.