traffic stop

noun

plural traffic stops
: an instance of police stopping a driver (as for speeding or a broken taillight)
She was pulled over for a routine traffic stop.
an officer making a traffic stop

Examples of traffic stop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Green herself has worked in places where a routine traffic stop could put her face to face with someone wanted for murder. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026 In 2010, an Austin police officer fatally shot Pierce in 2010 after a traffic stop. — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 The footage of the traffic stop got over a million views on X after Lee Merritt, a civil rights attorney who represented Thompson at the time, posted the video. — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026 During the traffic stop, the suspect reportedly brandished a knife. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for traffic stop

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of traffic stop was in 1953

Rhymes for traffic stop

See All Rhymes for traffic stop

Browse Nearby Words

traffic signal
traffic stop
traffic stopper
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Traffic stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic%20stop. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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