time-out
noun
1
: a brief suspension of activity : break
especially
: a suspension of play in an athletic game
2
: a quiet period used especially as a disciplinary measure for children
Examples of time-out in a Sentence
we need to take a time-out from our relationship to think things over
Recent Examples on the Web
Here, cops can decompress after a stressful event or take a brief time-out during a draining shift.
—
Katja Ridderbusch, NPR, 26 May 2025
The child who broke the toy would likely be yelled at and sent to time-out by the authoritarian parent without much conversation beyond that.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 22 May 2025
Spock advised parents against scolding children, threatening them, punishing them, giving them time-outs, or shooting them cross looks.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 5 May 2025
In any other circumstance, I would have been flustered, embarrassed, and ready to drag her out of there and straight into a time-out.
—Staff Author, Parents, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for time-out
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Katja Ridderbusch, NPR, 26 May 2025
The child who broke the toy would likely be yelled at and sent to time-out by the authoritarian parent without much conversation beyond that.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 22 May 2025
Spock advised parents against scolding children, threatening them, punishing them, giving them time-outs, or shooting them cross looks.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 5 May 2025
In any other circumstance, I would have been flustered, embarrassed, and ready to drag her out of there and straight into a time-out.
—Staff Author, Parents, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for time-out
Cite this Entry
“Time-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time-out. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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