| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | pause, interruption |
| Synonyms: | aperture, blank, breach, break, chasm, discontinuity, gap, interim, interval, lacuna, lapse, opening, rift, space |
| Antonyms: | continuation, continuity |
| Main Entry: | break |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | interruption of activity |
| Synonyms: | apnea, blow, breather, breathing space, caesura, coffee break, cutoff, downtime, halt, hiatus, interlude, intermission, interval, lacuna, layoff, letup, lull, pause, recess, respite, rest, suspension, ten, time off, time out |
| Notes: | to brake is to slow or stop while break is to cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently, smash or crack |
| Antonyms: | continuation, continuity |
| Main Entry: | cessation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | ending |
| Synonyms: | abeyance, arrest, break, break-off, breather, cease, ceasing, close, conclusion, cutoff, desistance, discontinuance, downtime, end, finish, freeze*, grinding halt, halt, halting, hiatus, intermission, interruption, interval, layoff, let-up, pause, recess, remission, respite, rest, screaming halt, standstill, stay, stop, stoppage, suspension, termination, time off, time-out |
| Antonyms: | beginning, commencement, start |
| Main Entry: | chasm |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | gap, abyss |
| Synonyms: | abysm, alienation, arroyo, blank, breach, cavity, cleavage, cleft, clough, clove, crater, crevasse, fissure, flume, gorge, gulch, gulf, hiatus, hole, hollow, omission, opening, oversight, preterition, ravine, rent, rift, schism, skip, split, void, yawn |
| Antonyms: | closure, junction, juncture |
| Main Entry: | gap |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | break, breach |
| Synonyms: | aperture, arroyo, blank, caesura, canyon, chasm, cleft, clove, crack, cranny, crevice, cut, defile, difference, disagreement, discontinuity, disparity, divergence, divide, division, fracture, gorge, gulch, gully, hiatus, hole, hollow, inconsistency, interlude, intermission, interruption, interspace, interstice, interval, lacuna, lull, notch, opening, orifice, pause, ravine, recess, rent, respite, rest, rift, rupture, separation, slit, slot, space, vacuity, void |
| Antonyms: | closure |
| Main Entry: | gulf |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | deep, gaping hole |
| Synonyms: | abyss, breach, cave, cavity, chasm, cleft, crevasse, depth, depths, distance, expanse, gap, gulch, hiatus, hollow, opening, pit, ravine, rent, rift, separation, shaft, split, void, well, whirlpool |
| Main Entry: | interim |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | interval |
| Synonyms: | breach, break, breather, breathing spell, coffee break, cutoff, downtime, gap, hiatus, interlude, interregnum, interruption, lacuna, layoff, letup, meantime, meanwhile, pause, take ten, time*, time-out |
| Antonyms: | continuation, permanence |
| Main Entry: | interlude |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | pause, break |
| Synonyms: | breathing space, delay, episode, halt, hiatus, idyll, interim, intermission, interregnum, interruption, interval, lull, meantime, meanwhile, parenthesis, recess, respite, rest, spell, stop, stoppage, wait |
| Notes: | an interval is a gap in time or space, whereas an interlude (literally 'between games') generally functions to fill such a gap, thus occupy an interval |
| Antonyms: | continuation |
| Main Entry: | interruption |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | break; interference |
| Synonyms: | abeyance, abeyancy, arrest, blackout, breach, break-off, cessation, check, cutoff, delay, disconnection, discontinuance, disruption, dissolution, disturbance, disuniting, division, doldrums, dormancy, gap, halt, hiatus, hindrance, hitch, impediment, interim, intermission, interval, intrusion, lacuna, latency, layoff, letup, obstacle, obstruction, parenthesis, pause, quiescence, rift, rupture, separation, severance, split, stop, stoppage, suspension |
| Antonyms: | continuation |