hit pause
To pause (an activity); stop, terminate.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We should hit pause on this game for a moment.”
“I need to hit pause on my workout because the phone is ringing.”
“You should hit pause on your studies and get some sleep.”
“The team decided to hit pause on the project until they had more funding.”
“After arguing for an hour, the couple decided to hit pause on the discussion and go for a walk to cool down.”
“The city had to hit pause on the road repairs because the heavy rain made it impossible for the workers to continue.”
“The director had to hit pause on the film production when the lead actor suddenly became ill and could not travel to the set.”
“Faced with mounting uncertainty, the board chose to hit pause on all new investments until the market showed signs of stability.”
Attested from the late 20th century, the phrase originates from the physical act of pressing a pause button on a piece of electronic equipment. The idiom draws specifically from the mechanics of media controllers, such as those found on tape decks, video players, and gaming consoles, which allow for the immediate suspension of an activity.
- 01
don't let the door hit you on the way out
Used as a command to leave in haste, or to indicate that one is glad, or at least unmoved, to see the addressed person leaving.
- 02
fall out of the ugly tree and hit every branch
To become extremely unattractive.
- 03
give pause
To give somebody cause for concern.
- 04
hit a lick
To earn a large sum of money in a short amount of time, usually illegally.
- 05
hit a snag
To encounter an unexpected problem or delay.
- 06
hit a wall
To come up against an insurmountable problem.
- 07
hit above one's weight
Alternative form of punch above one's weight.
- 08
hit and run
A road accident in which a driver hits someone and then drives away without stopping to help or take responsibility.
Last updated August 10, 2026