Phrasal verbs are commonly used by native speakers in English conversation. I put together this collection of phrasal verbs with stop to help ESL students and teachers. You will find a list below with definitions and example sentences.
- stop by
- stop in
- stop off
- stop out
- stop over
- stop up
Keep reading, master these phrasal verbs, and start using them in your own conversations.
The Verb Stop
The verb stop has a few different uses.
– To not move
- I stopped the car at the traffic lights.
– To not continue
- We stopped watching TV and went to bed.
– To end
- According to the weather forecast, the rain should stop at around 3:00.
-To prevent
- People are wearing masks to stop the spread of the virus.
Stop Verb Forms
| To stop – Infinitive |
| I need to stop at the store on my way home and buy some milk. |
| Stop – Present simple |
| Let’s stop for a few minutes and take a break. |
| Stops – Present simple third-person singular |
| Susan usually stops by my house on her way home from work. |
| Stopped – Past |
| I stopped at the big store on Main Street but they were sold out of milk. |
| Stopped – Past Participle |
| He was stopped at the traffic signal when his phone rang. (This sentence is the Passive Voice. was stopped) |
| Stopping – Continuous |
| This train will soon be stopping at Tokyo Station. |
Learn how to use the Past Participle at my blog post > Worldenglishblog.com/past-participle-the-right-way/
Stop Grammar
Stop doing something
Vs.
Stop to do something
“I stopped going to that store.”
– This means I don’t go to that store anymore. (I don’t like the staff.)
Compare
“I stopped to go to the store.”
– This means I stopped what I was doing so that I could go to the store. (I stopped on my way home so I could buy something.)
| Stop DOING | Stop TO DO |
|---|---|
| Stop + gerund (verb -ing) | Stop + infinitive (to verb) |
| Stop eating Stop sleeping Stop taking pictures | Stop to eat Stop to sleep Stop to take pictures |
Phrasal Verbs With Stop
to make a short visit somewhere
- I just bought a pool table. Why don’t you stop by this weekend and we can play?
- I have to stop by my parents’ house and pick up some of my old clothes.
- stop in *This one is new for me but I think it is more common in the U.K.
(British English, informal) to stay at home rather than go out
- I didn’t feel well on Friday night so I stopped in.
stop off (at)
to make a short visit somewhere during a trip in order to do something
- We stopped off at a small restaurant for lunch.
*Stop at is also natural for this sentence.
- We stopped at a small restaurant for lunch.
- stop out *This is also a new one for me
(British English, informal) to stay out late at night
- When I was younger my friends and I would stop out every single weekend.
to stay somewhere for a short time during a long journey
- My flight stopped over in Hong Kong for 12 hours so I spent the day enjoying the sights of Kowloon.
to suddenly stop, or make somebody suddenly stop, doing something
- His parents stopped short when he said he was quitting school.
His parents were shocked by the news and they suddenly stopped. They were shocked.
- stop short of
to be unwilling to do something because it may involve a risk, but to nearly do it
- She told her boss that she is very unhappy but stopped short of quitting.
– She nearly quit but didn’t - The country has made getting a travel visa very difficult but they have stopped short of completely banning tourists.
– The country made it hard for tourists to enter and nearly banned them but didn’t.
(British English, informal) to stay up late *This also is new to me.
- My friend always stops up and watches TV until the middle of the night. I can’t do that, I need my beauty sleep.
Compound nouns with stop
doorstop
a thing that is used to stop a door from closing or to prevent it from hitting and damaging a wall when it is opened
- Please put down the doorstop to keep the door open while I bring in the boxes.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
Expression – As smart as a doorstop
= Very dumb
- The actor is handsome and famous but he’s about as smart as a doorstop.
stopgap
something that you use or do for a short time while you are looking for something better
- The government keeps offering stopgap solutions that don’t ever address the real problem.
(North American English also layover)
a short stay somewhere between two parts of a journey
- My flight to Australia had a 12-hour stopover in Hong Kong. It was like a small trip inside a bigger trip.
- My flight to Australia had a 12-hour layover in Hong Kong. It was like a small trip inside a bigger trip. (Layover is more natural for me – a Canadian)
a watch that you can stop and start by pressing buttons, in order to time a race, etc. accurately, or an app on a phone that can perform the same function
- My phys ed teacher has a really high-tech stopwatch. It’s like a mini-computer.
Adjectives With Stop
non-stop (of a train, a journey, etc.) without any stops
- My flight from Tokyo to Toronto was non-stop. It’s a pain to change planes in the United States so I always fly direct now.
- This is a non-stop bus. It will get you downtown in only 20 minutes.
unstoppable that cannot be stopped or prevented
- Last night the team won their seventh consecutive game. They look unstoppable this season.
Check out these other great Phrasal Verb blog posts.
- 42 Advanced Phrasal Verbs (That You Need to Know)
- GET and TAKE Phrasal Verbs and Collocations (More than 50)
- Phrasal Verbs With Stop (Compound Nouns and Adjectives too)
- How to Learn Phrasal Verbs – Tips from an ESL Teacher (PDF)
- Put Something Up or Out? (An ESL Teacher has your Answer)
- Learn 50 Phrasal Verbs (List, Examples, Video, 42-page PDF)
- How to use “Break down” 4 ways (Learn Phrasal Verbs)
