stalled

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "stalled" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used as either a verb or an adjective. Example sentence: The project stalled when the team members disagreed about the budget.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Sport

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

We're getting officers to trains still stalled where possible.

The Guardian

Related: Hands across the divide: Cypriots go where their politicians fear to tread Eide, a former Norwegian foreign minister who is the UN secretary general's special representative, says he does not expect Friday's meeting, the first since talks were stalled last October, to go beyond a "general exchange of views".

The Guardian

Twitter's chief financial officer Anthony Noto has been leading the talks since the beginning of the year, though they are currently stalled, reports Kara Swisher at the technology website Recode.

The Guardian - Tech

The Serbs have stalled, playing for time or one side off against the other, with Brussels warning them that a green light would complicate the EU negotiations.

The Guardian

Increase in pension age to 70 – stalled A bill to increase the pension age, announced in the 2014 budget, is stalled in the Senate.

The Guardian

The Swans, who beat United 2-1 at Old Trafford on the season's opening day, getting the Dutchman's tenure off to a stalled start, repeated the result to complete a home and away double over their celebrated opponents for the first time.

The Guardian - Sport

Shorten contests that the 2014 federal budget did not fail because it was "too exciting, too visionary or too bold", but rather that major policy objectives stalled in the Senate because they were "fundamentally unfair".

The Guardian

The union is currently reviled perhaps like never before: a euro debacle, debt swamping the continent, expansion stalled, sluggish economies going backwards, euroscepticism on the rise.

The Guardian

But although warmly introduced as a Tea Party champion, the freshman senator was forced on the defensive by the Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, who asked him during a challenging question and answer session if he regretted proposing similar reforms as part of a comprehensive immigration bill that passed the Senate in 2013 but stalled in the House.

The Guardian

The Greek side has reportedly made concessions on harmonising VAT rates, improving tax collection and rebooting the country's stalled programme of privatisations.

The Guardian

The chancellor appeared confident about the government's ability to reduce public spending by 2014-15 despite "grave concerns" expressed in a report published today by the public accounts committee, which found that the last cost-cutting programme had stalled and many of the intended savings did not actually transpire.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "stalled" to describe projects, negotiations, or processes that have come to a standstill. For instance, "The peace talks stalled due to disagreements over territory."

Common error

Avoid using "stalled" interchangeably with terms like "delayed" or "suspended" if the intention is to convey a more permanent or problematic halt rather than a temporary pause.

Linguistic Context

Stalled primarily functions as a verb in the past tense, indicating that something has come to a standstill or stopped progressing. Ludwig AI shows examples of its use in describing delayed negotiations, projects, and even stalled vehicles.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Sport

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "stalled" is a versatile term primarily functioning as a verb, widely employed to describe a halt in progress across various domains, including negotiations, projects, and economic indicators. As indicated by Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct and sees frequent use in news and business contexts. While alternatives like "halted" or "delayed" exist, the specific context often dictates the most appropriate choice. When using "stalled", ensure the intention is to convey a complete stop rather than a temporary pause or slowed progression. The word's high frequency and authoritative source usage underscore its importance in effectively communicating the cessation of activity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

halted

This term emphasizes a complete stop, similar to "stalled" but potentially more abrupt.

at a standstill

Emphasizes a complete lack of movement or progress, directly mirroring one sense of "stalled".

delayed

Implies a temporary stop with the expectation of resumption, unlike "stalled" which may suggest a more permanent halt.

suspended

Indicates a temporary cessation, usually with a planned resumption, differing from a potentially permanent "stalled" state.

bogged down

Suggests being stuck or impeded, often due to complexity or difficulty, a nuance not always present in "stalled".

on hold

Similar to suspended, suggesting a deliberate pause rather than an unforeseen "stalled" state.

in limbo

Conveys a sense of uncertainty and indefinite suspension, which can be a consequence of being "stalled".

interrupted

Highlights a disruption in progress, which might be a cause of something being "stalled".

grounded

Suggests being unable to proceed due to external constraints, as opposed to an internal failure implied by "stalled".

deadlocked

Highlights a situation where progress is blocked due to opposing forces or disagreements, a specific cause of something being "stalled".

FAQs

How to use "stalled" in a sentence?

You can use "stalled" to describe something that has come to a standstill. For example, "Negotiations have "stalled" due to disagreements."

What can I say instead of "stalled"?

You can use alternatives like "halted", "delayed", or "at a standstill" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "stalled" or "stalling"?

Both "stalled" and "stalling" are correct, but they have different uses. "Stalled" is the past tense or past participle of "stall", while "stalling" is the present participle or gerund. For example, "The project stalled" versus "The project is stalling".

What's the difference between "stalled" and "stagnated"?

"Stalled" implies a complete stop, while "stagnated" suggests a lack of growth or progress without necessarily being completely stopped. Something ""stalled"" isn't moving at all; something "stagnated" isn't improving.