interrupt

To interrupt someone is to interfere in their activity, disrupt their conversation, or to disturb their peace and quiet.

Imagine you're watching reruns of Jeopardy! and your mom interrupts you, threatening to turn off the TV unless you take the trash out. Then your brother interrupts your peace and quiet by shouting answers — wrong answers — at the TV. A special weather bulletin then interrupts your "regularly scheduled program" with a severe thunderstorm warning. And, to complete the job, lightning causes an interrupt (now used as a noun) in the power grid and your electricity goes off.

Definitions of interrupt
  1. verb
    make a break in
    “We interrupt the program for the following messages”
    synonyms: break up, cut off, disrupt
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    types:
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    cut, cut off
    cease, stop
    punctuate
    interrupt periodically
    break
    interrupt the flow of current in
    put aside, put away
    turn away from and put aside, perhaps temporarily
    break, intermit, pause
    cease an action temporarily
    barge in, break in, butt in, chime in, chisel in, cut in, put in
    break into a conversation
    burst in on, burst upon
    spring suddenly
    heckle
    challenge aggressively
    come in, inject, interject, interpose, put in, throw in
    to insert between other elements
    block, jam
    interfere with or prevent the reception of signals
    stop, stop over
    interrupt a trip
    take off, take time off
    take time off from work; stop working temporarily
    interject
    speak abruptly, especially as an interruption
    disrupt
    interfere in someone else's activity
    breathe, catch one's breath, rest, take a breather
    take a short break from one's activities in order to relax
    take five
    take a break for five minutes
    take ten
    take a ten minute break
    barrage jam
    jam an entire frequency spectrum
    point jam
    jam a narrow band of frequencies
    spot jam
    jam a single frequency
    blanket jam
    jam a broad spectrum of frequencies to affect all communications in the area except for directional antenna communications
    call
    make a stop in a harbour
    lay over, stop over
    interrupt a journey temporarily, e.g., overnight
    type of:
    break, break off, discontinue, stop
    prevent completion
  2. verb
    destroy the peace or tranquility of
    “Don't interrupt me when I'm reading”
    synonyms: disturb
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    type of:
    act, move
    perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
  3. verb
    interfere in someone else's activity
    “Please don't interrupt me while I'm on the phone”
    synonyms: disrupt
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    types:
    cut in
    interrupt a dancing couple in order to take one of them as one's own partner
    cut short
    cause to end earlier than intended
    type of:
    barge in, break in, butt in, chime in, chisel in, cut in, put in
    break into a conversation
  4. noun
    a signal that temporarily stops the execution of a program so that another procedure can be carried out
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    type of:
    signal
    an electric quantity (voltage or current or field strength) whose modulation represents coded information about the source from which it comes
  5. verb
    terminate
    synonyms: break
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    types:
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    hold on, stop
    stop and wait, as if awaiting further instructions or developments
    break off, break short, cut short
    interrupt before its natural or planned end
    freeze, suspend
    stop a process or a habit by imposing a freeze on it
    hang up
    interrupt a telephone conversation
    type of:
    end, terminate
    bring to an end or halt
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