English Reference
Noun

stopover

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈstɑˌpoʊvɝ/ UK /stˈɒpəʊvɐ/ stopover UK spelling stopovers

n.a short break during a long journey, especially when you are traveling by plane. You usually stay at an airport for a few hours before continuing to your final destination.

n.a brief halt in a journey, typically at an airport or port, before continuing to the final destination. Often used in the context of international air travel.


SIMPLE

We have a three-hour stopover in Dubai before our flight home.

CONTEXTUAL

The flight from London to Sydney requires a stopover in Singapore, which allows passengers to stretch their legs and grab a meal.

COMPLEX

While the primary purpose of the trip was a business conference in Tokyo, the long-haul flight necessitated a stopover in Seoul, where the delegation spent the evening exploring the city's historic districts.

A stopover in Thailand was welcome relief for thousands of troops aboard the U.S.S.

The New York Times· 6 Sept 2026

Deverbal from stop over.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated