To Halt
Meaning: to get somebody to stop, usually used as a command
Example:
He turned and shouted to the rest of the men, ‘Halt!’
To Prevent
Meaning: to stop someone from doing something or to stop something from being done
Example:
Everybody is looking for a vaccine that will prevent the spreading of Covid-19.
A burglar alarm will prevent somebody from breaking into your home and stealing your valuables.
To Hinder
Meaning: not to stop entirely but to make something a little bit more difficult
Example:
Ice on the road will hinder your driving.
The snowstorm may hinder the train from arriving on time.
To Obstruct
Meaning: to stop someone or something from moving forward or backwards, to block their path
Example:
After a storm, a fallen tree obstructed the road.
To Inhibit
Meaning: to make someone unable to express themselves freely
Example:
Her presence inhibited him from saying what he wanted to say.
To Stem Something
Meaning: to stop the flow
Example:
If there’s a burst water pipe in your home, you wrap something around it until the plumber gets there so the water doesn’t spill out quite so much.
We put pressure on the wound with some bandage to stem the flow of blood.
To Prohibit
Meaning: to not allow or to forbid something
Example:
From that date, smoking was prohibited in public places and workplaces.
Going beyond a certain point in the airport is prohibited.
To Hamper
Meaning: to slow down or to make movement difficult
Example:
He had a broken leg which hampered his ability to get down the stairs.
The long tight dress that she wore hampered her movement so she wasn’t able to run.
The bad weather hampered the movement around the city.
To Stand In Somebody’s Path Or In Somebody’s Way
Meaning: to stop someone from doing something, to prevent
Example:
It’s a pity you couldn’t go to the university closer to home but don’t let me stand in your way.
To Keep Someone From Doing Something
Meaning: to physically stop them
Examples:
Safety gates keep children from going upstairs.
Blocking your credit card keeps you from spending money.
To Restrain
Meaning: to limit someone’s movements
Example:
The police restrained the thief by handcuffing him to a post.
To Refrain (From)
Meaning: to avoid doing something
Example:
Please refrain from touching your face.
Those are the other ways to say Stop in English. Let me just run through them again:
