Stop short

verb

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To come to a sudden and unexpected stop, particularly while speaking or driving a vehicle.

    "He had only taken a step forward into the room when he again stopped short to exclaim."

  2. 2
    To voluntarily cease an attempt to reach a certain point. usually, with-of

    "Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear."

  3. 3
    To come to a stop before reaching a certain point. with-of

    "Thirteen people were injured in August 1957 when this Bristol freighter skidded on the runway at Southend Airport when landing with a flight from Calais. It ploughed through the boundary fence, but thankfully stopped short of the railway and the 1,500V overhead wires. A tripwire was installed on this section of Shenfield-Southend line to warn train drivers of instances such as this."

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