put a stop to it

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "put a stop to it" is a commonly used idiom in written English.
It means to end or terminate something. For example, "We must put a stop to this endless bickering and come to some kind of agreement."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

How do we put a stop to it at its origins?

Huffington Post

Josh put a stop to it.

The New York Times

— Tanka Bhujel put a stop to it.

The New Yorker

"I'll put a stop to it".

The Guardian

"We will put a stop to it".

The Guardian

So we'll put a stop to it.

The Guardian

And I put a stop to it".

The Guardian

Mesereau put a stop to it.

The Guardian

But instead, he put a stop to it".

The New York Times - Arts

But Mr. Conde's father put a stop to it all.

The New York Times - Arts

"We have to put a stop to it".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "put a stop to it" when you want to convey a sense of authority and decisiveness in ending a negative or undesirable situation. It's suitable for both formal and informal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "put a stop to it" when describing situations that naturally conclude or when no intervention is required. The phrase implies an active effort to end something.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "put a stop to it" functions as an idiomatic expression used to express the action of ending or preventing something. It is a versatile phrase applicable in many contexts, as demonstrated by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

83%

Formal & Business

10%

Science

7%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "put a stop to it" is a very common idiomatic expression used to convey the action of ending or preventing something. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and wide applicability. While versatile, it's most frequently found in news and media contexts and is considered to be of a neutral register, leaning slightly towards informal. When using this phrase, be mindful of its active voice and avoid applying it to situations that naturally conclude without intervention. Alternatives like ""bring it to an end"" or ""call a halt to it"" can provide similar meaning with slight variations in tone and formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

put an end to it

Similar to the original phrase, but with slightly different wording.

bring it to an end

Emphasizes the act of concluding something, often an activity or process.

call a halt to it

Suggests a more abrupt and immediate cessation of something.

terminate it

A more formal and direct way of saying to end something.

bring it to a standstill

Highlights the act of causing something to become completely still or inactive.

stamp it out

Conveys a sense of forceful and decisive action to eliminate something.

nip it in the bud

Implies stopping something early in its development to prevent it from becoming a bigger problem.

cease it

A more formal way to express stopping or discontinuing something.

curtail it

Implies reducing or limiting something, rather than completely stopping it.

put a lid on it

Informal and suggests suppressing or controlling something to prevent further escalation.

FAQs

How can I use "put a stop to it" in a sentence?

You can use "put a stop to it" to describe the act of ending an undesirable activity or situation. For example, "The government needs to "put a stop to it" immediately".

What are some alternatives to saying "put a stop to it"?

Alternatives include "bring it to an end", "put an end to it", or "call a halt to it", depending on the specific context.

Is "put a stop to it" formal or informal?

"Put a stop to it" is generally considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. However, more formal alternatives like "terminate it" exist.

What does it mean to "nip it in the bud" instead of "put a stop to it"?

"Nip it in the bud" implies stopping something very early on before it develops into a bigger problem, whereas "put a stop to it" is a more general term for ending something at any stage.