interrupt
To stop someone while they are talking or doing something.
To cause someone to stop speaking or doing something for a short time by saying or doing something yourself.
To make something stop for a short time.
To cause an activity, process, or event to stop for a short period before continuing.
In computers, a signal that stops what the computer is doing so it can do something else.
In computing, a signal sent to the processor that temporarily stops the current process so another task can be performed.
- Base: interrupt
- 3rd Person Singular: interrupts
- Present Participle: interrupting
- Past: interrupted
interrupt someone’s train of thought
1Cause someone to lose their thinking flow
To make someone forget what they were thinking about by stopping them.
- The loud noise interrupted my train of thought.
- Don’t interrupt her train of thought while she’s writing.
sorry to interrupt
1Polite way to stop someone speaking
A polite way to say you want to stop someone so you can speak.
- Sorry to interrupt, but could I ask a quick question?
- Sorry to interrupt, but your phone is ringing.