arrest and halt share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. arrest means “take into custody”. halt means “cause to stop”. arrest is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ɚˈɛst/
1.v.take into custody
“the police nabbed the suspected criminals”
2.v.hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of
“Arrest the downward trend”
3.v.attract and fix
“His look caught her”
/ˈhɔlt/
1.v.cause to stop
“Halt the engines”
2.v.come to a halt, stop moving
“the car stopped”
3.v.stop from happening or developing
“Block his election”
| arrest | halt | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ɚˈɛst/ | /ˈhɔlt/ |
| Said | ur-EST | hawlt |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | verb, noun, adjective |
| Senses | 6 | 8 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | collar, nail, apprehend | hold, arrest |
Full entry for arrest · Full entry for halt · More comparisons