in·ter·rupt
ˌin-tə-ˈrəpt 
interrupted; interrupting; interrupts
1
: to stop or hinder by breaking in
interrupted the speaker with frequent questions
2
: to break the uniformity or continuity of
a hot spell occasionally interrupted by a period of cool weather
: to break in upon an action
especially
: to break in with questions or remarks while another is speaking
in·ter·rupt
ˌin-tə-ˈrəpt
ˈin-tə-ˌrəpt
: a feature of a computer that permits the temporary interruption of one activity (such as the execution of a program) in order to perform another
also
: the interruption itself
Synonyms
Examples of interrupt in a Sentence
Verb
It's not polite to interrupt.
His dinner was interrupted by a phone call.
We interrupt this program to bring you a special announcement.
Every summer periods of cool weather occasionally interrupt the intense heat.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Laskin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2024
Loading your audio article SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants placed first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. on the injured list Tuesday, officially interrupting one of the most impressive offensive performances in the sport so far and thinning out San Francisco’s options at first base.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024
Sam Joseph, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024
Changing the number loaded into the timer alters the interval between interrupts.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for interrupt 
Verb
The water moved by the force of gravity, and arches and bridges, which were expensive and vulnerable to attack, were only used to span ravines, valleys and other dips in the terrain that would have interrupted the flow.
—David Laskin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2024
Loading your audio article SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants placed first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. on the injured list Tuesday, officially interrupting one of the most impressive offensive performances in the sport so far and thinning out San Francisco’s options at first base.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024
Noun
Embiid’s unfortunate injury interrupts what has been another terrific campaign for the 29-year-old center.
—Sam Joseph, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024
Changing the number loaded into the timer alters the interval between interrupts.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for interrupt
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'interrupt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near interrupt
Cite this Entry
“Interrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interrupt. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
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