halting

adjective

halt·​ing ˈhȯl-tiŋ How to pronounce halting (audio)
: marked by a lack of sureness or effectiveness
spoke in a halting manner
haltingly adverb

Examples of halting in a Sentence

She answered in a halting voice. The baby took a few halting steps. Progress in the negotiations has been halting.
Recent Examples on the Web Congress has been pushing the military in recent years to investigate whether the blasts from repeatedly firing heavy weapons cause brain damage, but the military has proceeded at a halting pace that has yielded few changes in the field. Dave Philipps, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 At the same time, the pacing proves more halting, particularly in the first hour or so of this 166-minute spectacle, which plunges deeply into the intricacies of imperial politics and Fremen customs, punctuated by skirmishes in the larger war. Brian Lowry, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 After a production shutdown during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a halting return to work for months after, by the spring and summer, L.A.-area productions alone had rushed back in earnest to fulfill the demand for entertainment that arose when consumers were stuck at home. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Feb. 2024 Apart from conducting Boston Symphony concerts, Mr. Ozawa’s relationship with Tanglewood over the years was somewhat halting but occasionally eventful. James R. Oestreich, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2024 The looks on the faces and the body language of the players, the hushed, halting manner in which coach Geno Auriemma spoke, all of it has become too familiar for the UConn women’s basketball program. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 4 Jan. 2024 Just how the lengthy and halting array of early races will affect the GOP contest remains to be seen, though. Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 11 Dec. 2023 But unlike southern Nevada, where there is really only one water source and one water customer—the Colorado River and metropolitan Las Vegas—the enormous complexity of Arizona means that a quick pivot to conservation, much less halting growth, is unlikely. Kyle Paoletta, The New Republic, 30 Oct. 2023 The situation was further complicated when Hamas began a halting release of hostages, two American citizens Friday and two elderly Israelis on Tuesday. Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'halting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of halting was in 1585

Dictionary Entries Near halting

Cite this Entry

“Halting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halting. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

halting

adjective
halt·​ing ˈhȯl-tiŋ How to pronounce halting (audio)
: being unsure or hesitant
spoke in a halting manner
haltingly adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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