Interrupt Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

English Language Learners Definition of interrupt · to ask questions or say things while another person is speaking : to do or say something that causes someone ... Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut interrupt verb SaveWord in·​ter·​rupt |\ˌin-tə-ˈrəpt \ interrupted;interrupting;interrupts Definitionofinterrupt (Entry1of2) transitiveverb 1 :tostoporhinderbybreakingin interruptedthespeakerwithfrequentquestions 2 :tobreaktheuniformityorcontinuityof ahotspelloccasionallyinterruptedbyaperiodofcoolweather intransitiveverb :tobreakinuponanaction especially :tobreakinwithquestionsorremarkswhileanotherisspeaking interrupt noun in·​ter·​rupt |\ˌin-tə-ˈrəpt ,ˈin-tə-ˌrəpt\ Definitionofinterrupt (Entry2of2) :afeatureofacomputerthatpermitsthetemporaryinterruptionofoneactivity(suchastheexecutionofaprogram)inordertoperformanother also :theinterruptionitself OtherWordsfrominterrupt Synonyms MoreExampleSentences LearnMoreAboutinterrupt OtherWordsfrominterrupt Verb interruptible \ ˌin-​tə-​ˈrəp-​tə-​bəl \ adjective interruptive \ ˌin-​tə-​ˈrəp-​tiv \ adverb Synonymsforinterrupt Synonyms:Verb breakin, chimein, chipin [chieflyBritish], cutin, interpose, intrude VisittheThesaurusforMore  ExamplesofinterruptinaSentence Verb It'snotpolitetointerrupt. Hisdinnerwasinterruptedbyaphonecall. Weinterruptthisprogramtobringyouaspecialannouncement. Everysummerperiodsofcoolweatheroccasionallyinterrupttheintenseheat. SeeMore RecentExamplesontheWeb:Verb Tampingdownonexcessdemandisnecessarytointerruptthisfeedbackloopbetweenincreasesinwagesandinflation. — MickeyD.Levy,WSJ,19Dec.2021 Increasingly,however,thoseseriesareshowingupinstreamingvenuesthatdon’tacceptadsandrefusetointerrupttheirshowswithcommercialbreaks. — BrianSteinberg,Variety,16Dec.2021 ClickFocusassistfromSystemtosetuprulesaboutwhennotificationsfromanyappareallowedtointerruptyou. — DavidNield,Wired,21Nov.2021 Bestkindofabattleisabreakdancebattle:ThepowerofartisfrontandcenterasFirehouseArtsCenteraimstointerruptthecycleofviolenceamongyouthandyoungadultsinthecommunity. — HollyBaumbach,chicagotribune.com,13Aug.2021 Alwaysletothersfinishtheirsentencesbeforejumpingintointerruptwithcomments,orofferingagranderstory(topper)ofyourown. — MikeMasterson,ArkansasOnline,15Feb.2021 NBCNews,ABCNews,andCBSNewsplantointerruptregularbroadcastingwithspecialreportsonthehearings. — ErikWasson,Fortune,13Nov.2019 Meadowsplayedacentralroleinthepeddlingofelectionliesandattemptedtousethepoweroftheexecutivebranchtointerveneandinterruptthepeacefultransferofpower,CNNhaspreviouslyreported. — AnnieGrayer,CNN,11Dec.2021 Wearingcontactlensescanalsointerrupttheeye'snaturalmoistureandeithercauseorcontributetodryeye—andthereareafewreasonswhy. — AmyMarturanaWinderl,Health.com,8Dec.2021 RecentExamplesontheWeb:Noun InAlaska,GibbsandMcGeeinterruptSonovaCEOSoniaEberhardatthegroundbreakingceremonyforthecopperoremine. — SaraNetzley,EW.com,12Oct.2021 Hearingtheirownnameisapatterninterruptthatgetstheirattention. — Forbes,5July2021 HearingthatJenniferhasjustcalledthepresidentamisogynistonCNN,NorahasanotheradvisorinterruptPOTUS'on-camerainterview. — NickSchager,EW.com,13Sep.2021 Eventoday,whenthesunisshiningandDearborn,thecenterofDetroit'sArabcommunity,isbustling,planesoverheadrumblingalongtheirflightpathtoMetroAirportinterruptNabhan. — Freep.com,9Sep.2021 ThestarterinterruptmayallowthevehicletostartwhenthetransmissionisnotinPARK. — DetroitFreePress,7May2021 ThestarterinterruptmayallowthevehicletostartwhenthetransmissionisnotinPARK. — DetroitFreePress,7May2021 ThestarterinterruptmayallowthevehicletostartwhenthetransmissionisnotinPARK. — DetroitFreePress,7May2021 ThestarterinterruptmayallowthevehicletostartwhenthetransmissionisnotinPARK. — DetroitFreePress,7May2021 Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'interrupt.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. SeeMore FirstKnownUseofinterrupt Verb 15thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedattransitivesense1Noun 1957,inthemeaningdefinedabove HistoryandEtymologyforinterrupt Verb MiddleEnglish,fromLatininterruptus,pastparticipleofinterrumpere,frominter-+rumperetobreak—moreatreave LearnMoreAboutinterrupt Shareinterrupt PosttheDefinitionofinterrupttoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofinterruptonTwitter TimeTravelerforinterrupt Thefirstknownuseofinterruptwas inthe15thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury DictionaryEntriesNearinterrupt interrow interrupt interrupted SeeMoreNearbyEntries  Statisticsforinterrupt LastUpdated 7Jan2022 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Interrupt.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interrupt.Accessed16Jan.2022. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsforinterrupt interrupt verb EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofinterrupt :toaskquestionsorsaythingswhileanotherpersonisspeaking:todoorsaysomethingthatcausessomeonetostopspeaking :tocause(something)tostophappeningforatime :tocause(something)tonotbeevenorcontinuous:tochangeorstopthesamenessorsmoothnessof(something) SeethefulldefinitionforinterruptintheEnglishLanguageLearnersDictionary interrupt verb in·​ter·​rupt |\ˌin-tə-ˈrəpt \ interrupted;interrupting KidsDefinitionofinterrupt 1 :tostoporhinderbybreakingin Don'tinterruptourconversation. 2 :tobreakthesamenessorcourseof Aloudcrashinterruptedthesilence. MorefromMerriam-Websteroninterrupt Nglish:TranslationofinterruptforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofinterruptforArabicSpeakers WORDOFTHEDAY sanguine SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! 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