stopping

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The act of bringing something, or coming, to a halt; the ending of movement or activity.

   Grammar: A gerund noun: stopping takes a short time, while the verb form needs an object or subject: they stopped the car.

   Patterns

   • the stopping of something
   • stopping distance

   The stopping of the machine took only a second after the alarm sounded.

   Sudden stopping on a wet road can cause skids.

   The sign asked drivers to avoid stopping near the school gate.

2. 2nounbefore a nounBritish

   Describing a place or service where a vehicle halts, as in a stopping place or a stopping train that calls at every station.

   Grammar: Used before another noun: a stopping point, a stopping service.

   Patterns

   • a stopping place
   • a stopping train

   The slow stopping train takes an hour longer than the express.

   We found a good stopping place beside the river for lunch.

Common combinations

stopping distance

On ice, your stopping distance can triple.

stopping power

The new brakes have much more stopping power.

stopping point

Let's choose a stopping point before dark.

no stopping

There is no stopping on this stretch of the road.

sudden stopping

Sudden stopping may cause you to lose your balance on a bus.

Synonyms and how they differ

halting

Halting suggests a more deliberate or official end, and as an adjective it can also mean hesitant.

cessation

Cessation is a formal word for the end of something such as fighting, and it is rarely used for physical vehicles.

stoppage

Stoppage usually refers to a work interruption or blockage, not the general act of stopping.

Opposites

Word family

stop verb

to bring to or come to a halt

stopper noun

something that closes an opening

stoppage noun

an interruption or blockage

nonstop adjective

without any stops

Commonly confused: stopping or stoping?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “stopping”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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