cease fire
Halt all hostilities
Cease fire is a command to stop shooting, used in military and police contexts to halt gunfire immediately: Cease fire! Cease fire!
The two-word form is the imperative command, while the hyphenated or single-word form (ceasefire) typically refers to the agreement itself—a negotiated halt to hostilities between warring parties.
Agreement to cease hostilities
- truceAgreed halt to hostilities
- haltComplete sudden stop
- cessationA full stopping
- suspensionTemporary halt or exclusion
standstill · peace · disarmament · stand down · white flag · demilitarization · buffer zone · neutral zone
Discussion seeking mutual accord
- settlementResolved dispute or colony
- accordHarmony between parties
- treatyBinding pact between nations
- agreementShared position between parties
reconciliation · mediation · diplomacy · detente · conciliation · parley · talks · terms
Temporary cessation of activity
- respiteShort pause from hardship
- breakInterrupt continuity
- intermissionScheduled performance pause
- lullTemporary period of quiet
timeout · breathing room · interlude · recess · reprieve · moratorium · abeyance · hiatus
armistice
Agreement to cease hostilities
suspension · standstill · peace · disarmament · stand down · white flag · demilitarization · buffer zone · neutral zone · peacekeeping
negotiation
Discussion seeking mutual accord
- settlementResolved dispute or colony
- accordHarmony between parties
- treatyBinding pact between nations
agreement · reconciliation · mediation · diplomacy · detente · conciliation · parley · talks · terms · resolution
pause
Temporary cessation of activity
- respiteShort pause from hardship
- breakInterrupt continuity
- intermissionScheduled performance pause
lull · timeout · breathing room · interlude · recess · reprieve · moratorium · abeyance · hiatus · interval
- fire idiomsfan the flames, spread like wildfire, go up in flames, go up in smoke, up in smoke
- Bugle Callsreveille, taps, last post, first call, mess call
- warfarebattle, combat, attack, war, armed conflict
- signalssignal, signals, signaling, sign, waved
- surrendersurrender, surrenders, surrendering, I surrender, capitulate
- gun safetygun safety, trigger discipline, safe storage, gun safe, trigger lock
cease fireopen fire
Begin discharging weapons
engage · attack · warfare · offensive · bombardment
cease fireescalation
Progressive increase in intensity
war · total war · peace treaty · armistice · armed conflict
cease firefire at will
Command permitting unrestricted shooting
open fire · weapons free · fire · shoot · attack