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Word

halt

noun C1
UK /hɒlt/
US /hɔlt/

Meanings

noun

a stop or pause in movement or activity

halt: a stop or pause in movement or activity
verb

to stop moving or to stop something from continuing

halt: to stop moving or to stop something from continuing

Definition

A halt is a stop or a pause in movement or activity.

A halt refers to the act of stopping or pausing, or to a situation in which progress temporarily stops. It can describe physical movement, such as a vehicle stopping, or processes and plans that are paused. As a verb, it means to make something stop or to stop yourself. It is often used in formal or news-style contexts.

Examples

  • The sudden halt in production forced the team to rethink its timeline overnight.
  • I had to halt my presentation when the projector failed, then restart once it worked again.
  • She watched the negotiations come to a halt after one side rejected the revised proposal.
  • They decided to halt the experiment temporarily because the initial results were inconsistent.

Common mistake

Learners often confuse halt with stop by using it in very casual speech, even though halt usually sounds more formal or emphatic than stop.