Meaning & use
take a hiatus
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiom
to stop doing an activity for a period of time, usually with the intention of starting again later.
Grammar: Used as a fixed verb phrase; the noun 'hiatus' keeps its singular form and takes 'a'.
Patterns
- take a hiatus from something
- take a hiatus to do something
After ten years of teaching, she decided to take a hiatus and travel.
The band took a hiatus in 2019 and did not play together again for three years.
He took a short hiatus from writing to look after his father.
phraseidiombusiness
to pause the regular showing or release of a series, program, or product for a while.
Grammar: Common in media and business talk; the thing that pauses can be the subject instead: 'the show is taking a hiatus'.
Patterns
- take a hiatus from something
- be on hiatus
The network will take a hiatus from the series before filming the next season.
Our podcast is taking a hiatus while we build a new studio.
Common combinations
- take a brief hiatus
- She took a brief hiatus from work after her surgery.
- take a hiatus from something
- He took a hiatus from the band to finish his degree.
- announce a hiatus
- The studio announced a hiatus of six months.
- return from a hiatus
- The singer returned from a long hiatus with a new album.
- go on hiatus
- The magazine went on hiatus during the summer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- take a break
- Much more everyday and can mean a pause of minutes or hours, while 'take a hiatus' suggests weeks, months, or longer.
- suspend
- A formal verb meaning to stop something officially for a time; it focuses on the action taken on a thing rather than on a person stepping away.
- step back
- Informal and often suggests reducing your involvement rather than stopping completely.
Opposites
Word family
- hiatus noun
- A pause or gap in an activity; the noun used inside this phrase.
Commonly confused: take a hiatus or take a break?
take a hiatus vs take a break
'Take a break' is the normal, casual choice for a short rest; 'take a hiatus' sounds formal and suggests a longer, planned pause.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Take a hiatus from something' is the fixed pattern, and the past form is 'took'. Option 1 wrongly pluralizes 'hiatus', option 2 uses a non-standard past tense, and option 3 uses 'for' where the meaning needs 'from'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “take a hiatus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.