# stop press

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/stop-press
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Used to grab attention, implying importance, news-worthiness, etc.

## Examples

- Stop press, I have some big news to share with you.
- Stop press, the store is giving away free coffee today.
- Stop press, I found my lost keys in the garden.
- Stop press, the company just announced that everyone gets an extra week of vacation this year.
- Stop press, the lead singer just walked into the restaurant where we are having dinner right now.
- Stop press, my sister just called to say she is finally moving back to our hometown next month.
- Stop press, the local council decided at the last minute to cancel the construction of the new highway that everyone was worried about.
- Stop press, the long-awaited results of the investigation have finally been released, revealing a significant shift in the organization's policy.

## Origin

Derived from the American newspaper-printing jargon to stop the presses, an instruction issued to halt a printing run in order to include late-breaking news. The shortening to stop press entered English usage to denote such items or the physical space on a page reserved for their inclusion.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.