stop short

Related to stop short: stop short of doing

stop short

To abruptly stop doing something. The sudden blaring of the alarm caused me to stop short on my way down the hall.
See also: short, stop
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

stop short

1. Also, stop one short. Check abruptly, as in When we tried to cross the street, the barrier stopped us short. [Early 1300s]
2. Cause someone to stop speaking, as in I was about to tell them the date when my father stopped me short. [Late 1800s]
3. stop short of. Not go so far as to do or say something. For example, He may embroider the truth but he stops short of actually lying. This usage was first recorded in 1818.
See also: short, stop
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

stop ˈshort


1 (also stop somebody short) suddenly stop doing something or make somebody stop somebody doing something: When I read how many people had died, I stopped short and stared in disbelief at the newspaper.
2 (stop short of something/of doing something)nearly but not actually do something, for example because you are afraid or you think it is a bad idea: The manager told her that he was unhappy with her work, but he stopped short of dismissing her from her job.
See also: short, stop
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • be short of (something)
  • for short
  • short of
  • short of (something)
  • short of something/of doing something
  • in the short haul
  • over the short haul
  • over the short term
  • come short of
  • come short of (something)
References in periodicals archive
Such projects have their roots in the booth-specific presentations that began to proliferate back at the Gramercy Art Fair (the Deitch-curated "Florine Stettheimer Collapsed Time Salon," for example, or Thomas Hirschhorn's foil-tentacled Swiss army knife), though I would stop short of classifying these earlier efforts as Art Fair Art, which, if true to form, must do more than simply use the fair as a stage.
Tent community: Jack Bankowsky on art fair art
Although this study's findings stop short of proving a cause-and-effect relationship, they are the first to show an association between weak muscle strength in areas secondary to the site of pain and the overuse injuries themselves.
Strengthen your hips
The floors in the new block stop short of the rear wall on the north side to create a full-height void.
Layers of meaning: this addition to a local public library in Waterford adds a distinguishably new layer to the town's urban archaeology
But few people stop short of two cups of pasta as a main dish.
Getting sauced: pasta topping go upscale
"I would stop short of concluding that the data provide strong proof for the existence of thermotaxis in rabbit sperm," she says.
Sperm may follow rising temperature to egg. (Heat-seeking missiles)
ANYONE fortunate enough to attend the Remembrance presentation given by students of Hillcrest School, Breeze Hill, Bootle on November 7 would stop short at the very mention of war anywhere in the world in future.
Letter: Peace lesson
The proposed industry-funded system would stop short of labeling U.S.
USDA proposes industry-funded system to verify grain shipments as "biotech free". (News Briefs)
When pressed on the issue, company officials express optimism that a deal will be reached, but usually stop short of saying the company will move forward with the project "on speculation," or without securing a tenant prior to construction.
UBS Warburg continues expansion in Stamford