hard stop

noun

A mechanical device that limits the travel of a mechanism.

“I have a hard stop at 4 pm, so please try to cover everything in the meeting before then.”

Similar
full stop
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Meanings

nounhard stop (plural hard stops)

plural hard stops · alternative hard-stop

  1. A mechanical device that limits the travel of a mechanism.
  2. A definite time when someone must end a task; a non-negotiable deadline.

    I have a hard stop at 4 pm, so please try to cover everything in the meeting before then.

  3. A tactic used by armed police to stop a vehicle believed to contain dangerous criminals.
  4. Synonym of full stop.

    Synonyms: full stop

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSynonym of full stop.

Similar
full stop
Also see
full stop
Cite this entry
APA

hard stop. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hard%20stop

MLA

“hard stop.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hard%20stop. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hard stop,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hard%20stop.

Source: hard stop on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.