1
: a brief suspension of activity : break
especially : a suspension of play in an athletic game
2
: a quiet period used especially as a disciplinary measure for children

Examples of time-out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Related Articles Warriors delayed getting to Toronto for second night of back-to-back road games Predictably, the Raptors got off to a quick start with a 14-7 lead, prompting two Kerr time-outs where the head coach looked visibly distressed with the energy level. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024 From first time-out called, to number of receiving yards, catches, sacks; odds are, there's odds on everything this Super Bowl. Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024 Each team will now get have an opportunity to possess the ball and each will get three time-outs. Breanne L. Heldman, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024 Buffalo had no time-outs and the ball at the Dolphins’ 11-yard line with 11 seconds left in the half. Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2024 The altercation began as Herbert didn’t appreciate Schroder discussing something with center Daniel Theis during the time-out. Scott Thompson, Fox News, 3 Sep. 2023 The world simply can’t afford another four-year time-out from aggressive climate action. Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2023 After time-out meetings with the company’s CEO, CIO, and others, the decision was to table that part of the project indefinitely. Bhopi Dhall and Saurajit Kanungo, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023 Sometimes our parents used time-outs as punishments. Sharneé Carrington, Parents, 1 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'time-out.' 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

circa 1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of time-out was circa 1896

Dictionary Entries Near time-out

Cite this Entry

“Time-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time-out. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

time-out

noun
ˈtī-ˈmau̇t
1
: a stopping of play (as in a game) usually for a short time
2
: a quiet period used especially as a way to discipline children
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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