Stop the clock Definition 1 of 3Pro Tip 1/3Sports Context Used extensively in sports to indicate a timeout or break in the action. The coach signaled to stop the clock after the player's injury. Pro Tip 2/3Time-Sensitive Implies urgency or a critical moment where every second counts. As the deadline approached, we had to stop the clock to resolve the issue. Pro Tip 3/3Temporary Pause Indicates a short interruption, not the end of the activity. The match continued after they stopped the clock to check the score.