stopover
noun
What stopover means
A short stay in a place between two parts of a long trip, often for a night or a few days.
We had a two-day stopover in Dubai.
Many airlines offer a free stopover in Reykjavik.
Test yourself
Five questions about stopover
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Question 1 of 5Meaning
What does stopover mean?
On a long journey you sometimes stop in a city on the way and stay there for a night or two before you continue. That stop is a stopover.
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Question 2 of 5Situation
On your way from London to Sydney, you leave the airport in Singapore and spend two nights in a hotel there before your next flight. This is a…
You break your long journey and stay in Singapore for two nights on the way, which is a stopover. A detour is a longer way round, and a delay is something you did not plan.
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Question 3 of 5Gap
To make the long flight to New Zealand easier, many travellers plan a ___ in Los Angeles or Hong Kong.
Stopping in a city for a night or two breaks a very long trip into two parts, and that kind of planned stop is a stopover.
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Question 4 of 5Similar word
Which phrase is closest in meaning to stopover?
A stopover is a planned stop on the way to your destination, so it is a break in the journey. A longer way round is a detour.
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Question 5 of 5Correct use
Which sentence uses stopover correctly?
Stopover is a noun, and you have or make a stopover in a place. The verb is stop over, and a longer way round a closed road is a detour.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer, Enter goes on.
Stopover in a sentence
5 more examples of stopover in everyday situations.
- Planning a trip
We added a two-night stopover in Singapore to break up the long flight.
- At the airport
During our stopover, we took the train into the city for dinner.
- With friends
Is the stopover long enough to leave the airport and see something?
- Road trip
Our first stopover on the drive south was a small town in Georgia.
- Airline offers
Some airlines let you add a free stopover on the way to your destination.
How to use stopover
Stopover usually lasts longer than a layover and often means leaving the airport. A layover is a short wait between flights.
You can break a long trip with a stopover and see a city.
Forms
- stopoversplural
- stop overphrasal verb
Patterns
- a stopover in + place
- make / have a stopover
- a two-day / one-night stopover
- stop over in + place
Common mistakes with stopover
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NotWe did a stopover of three hours in Istanbul.
SayWe had a three-hour layover in Istanbul.
For a few hours in the airport, layover is more natural.
Stopover or layover?
- stopover or layover
- A layover is usually a short wait at an airport between flights. A stopover is longer, often a night or more, so you can leave the airport and see the city.
Stopover is a C1 word. Is that your level? Take the level test or count the words you know.
Stopover word family and collocations
The words that go with stopover, so you can use it in a whole phrase.
Common collocations
- a stopover in
- a two-day stopover
- free stopover
- make a stopover
- stopover flight
Word family
- stopover (noun)
- stop over (verb)
Similar words
- break in journey
Questions about stopover
What is the difference between a stopover and a layover?
Both are breaks between parts of a trip. A layover is usually a few hours at the airport, while a stopover is longer, often a day or more, so you can visit the place.
Is stopover one word?
The noun stopover is one word. The phrasal verb is two words, as in 'We stopped over in Dubai for two nights.'
The word before
Do you still remember competitor?
One question about the word from 23 October. Remembering a word a day later helps it stay.
One question
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What does competitor mean?
Competitors want the same thing as you, such as the same customers or the same prize, so only one of you can win it.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer.
More travel words
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B2
destination
The place where a person or thing is going, especially at the end of a journey. -
C1
overbooked
Having more people with reservations than there are seats or rooms available. -
B2
timetable
A list that shows the times when buses, trains or planes leave and arrive. -
B2
accommodation
A place to stay while you travel, such as a hotel, a hostel or an apartment. -
C1
linger
To stay somewhere longer than necessary, because you enjoy it or do not want to leave. -
B2
souvenir
Something you buy or keep to remember a place or a trip.