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.
What is the Fourth of July to the mother whose 1-year-old son did not survive a traffic stop? — Otis Moss Iii, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026 As the vehicle exited the course, deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2026 Then, late in the summer of 2018, a Vestavia Hills police officer pulled over a woman on a routine traffic stop. — Keith O’Brien, New Yorker, 25 June 2026 The suit accused the law enforcement agency of using traffic stops to arrest people on immigration charges, racially profiling Latinos in the process. — Rafael Carranza, ProPublica, 25 June 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 7 Jul. 2026.

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