Meaning & use
halted
Last updated
“halted” is a form of “halt”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
stopped moving or operating, often suddenly or because someone made it stop
Grammar: Can be used with an object (someone halts something) or without (something halts). The past tense and past participle is 'halted'.
Patterns
- something halted
- someone halted something
- halted by something
The train halted just before the station.
The company halted production after the power cut.
The parade was halted by heavy rain.
verbtransitive
brought to a stop; ended progress or development
Grammar: Often used in passive: 'be halted by'. Focuses on the stopping of an activity or process.
Patterns
- halt something
- be halted by something
The negotiations were halted indefinitely.
The referee halted the match due to bad weather.
Word forms
| base form | halt |
|---|---|
| third person singular | halts |
| past tense | halted |
| past participle | halted |
| -ing form | halting |
Common combinations
- halted by
- The game was halted by rain.
- come to a halt
- The bus came to a halt at the red light.
- bring to a halt
- The strike brought the factory to a halt.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stopped
- More general and common in everyday speech; 'halted' is slightly more formal and often suggests an official or sudden stop.
- ceased
- Very formal; used for activities that end completely, while 'halted' often implies a temporary or forced stop.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: halted or haulted?
halted vs haulted
Misspelling; the correct spelling is 'halted'.
Practice
The construction work was ___ because of the storm.
Choose one answer.
The passive voice requires the past participle 'halted' after 'was'. 'Halting' would be the -ing form, 'halts' is present tense, and 'halt' is the base form, none of which fit the passive structure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “halted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.