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REFERENCE

stopped

v.
A1 Beginner US //ˈstɑpt// UK //stˈɒpt// stopped

v. to finish an activity or to no longer move. You use this when someone or something does not continue what they were doing.

v. to cease an action, motion, or progress; to come to an end or cause to end. Transitive when followed by an object or gerund, and intransitive when indicating a halt in motion.


SIMPLE

The rain finally stopped after two hours.

CONTEXTUAL

The bus stopped at the corner to let the passengers get off.

COMPLEX

The factory stopped production immediately after the safety inspectors discovered a significant leak in the main cooling system.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From stop + -ed. In some senses, the adjective follows from the verb; in others, it may derive directly from the noun stop.

Usage

When followed by another verb, use the -ing form to mean ending an activity, or 'to' + infinitive to mean pausing in order to do something else.

Pitfall

I stopped to smokeI stopped smokingUse the -ing form to mean you quit a habit; using the infinitive means you paused your current activity specifically to have a cigarette.

Idioms1 entry

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