interrupt

verb

ˌin-tə-ˈrəpt How to pronounce interrupt (audio)
Definition of interruptnext
as in to intrude
to cause a disruption in a conversation or discussion it's rude to interrupt when someone is making an important point

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of interrupt There was a period where airspace was closed in the Gulf after the Iran conflict began, and then questions about whether the region’s growth story would be interrupted. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Process for Serra is autotelic; the activities on the Verb List are ongoing, interrupted only by completion or breakdown. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 During his speech, Vance was twice interrupted by protesters who were booed by the crowd and promptly escorted out. — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026 But his progress kept being interrupted by knee problems, the most recent of which, an ACL injury sustained in February, has required a long recovery period. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for interrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interrupt
  1. intrude
  2. bother
  3. cut in
  4. add
  5. interpose
  6. break in
Verb
  • Nathalia Acevedo’s film transforms the salon into a liminal space where memory, imagination and time converge, gradually allowing the outside world to intrude.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI models broke out of testing environments, gained access to the open internet, and intruded into Hugging Face’s computer systems.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of intrude
Verb
  • Palo Alto Networks did that after buying [Israeli startup] CyberArk, but why would most companies bother?
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • That woman was truly unbothered, a term tossed around online, but the literal act of not being bothered is impossible for most people beyond the quirkiest, like my onetime neighbor, or maybe Fran Lebowitz.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of bother
Verb
  • When the interpreter described her as having a filmography of more than 80 titles and began to call her prolific, Gainsbourg cut in.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Sand criticized the Republican House members and senators representing Iowa in Washington for voting in support of SNAP cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in the first place.
    — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of cut in
Verb
  • The city added 120,000 housing units between 2015 and 2024, while median monthly rent fell from $1,546 in December 2021 to $1,296 in January 2026, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Holding an election during the war would be unlawful and Ukraine would need security guarantees to allow for safe voting, Zelenskyy added.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of add
Verb
  • The short-haired friend interposed herself on the bench between the twenty-three-year-old woman and the thirty-five-year-old man, putting her arm around the former and totally ignoring the latter.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • Language, being a product of rationality, lacks the capacity to interpose itself.
    — Rachel Cusk, New Yorker, 13 June 2026
Definition of interpose
Verb
  • Remember, any break in the Middle East turmoil could flip high oil on a dime and lead to much lower prices.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • At the time, Caleb had called 911 and claimed that an intruder had broken in and killed Ashley.
    — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of break in

Browse Nearby Words

interrogatory
interrupt
interrupted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Interrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interrupt. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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