Hard Stop
A fixed time when someone must leave or an activity must end.
Plain English
I cannot continue past this time.
In context
Stating a hard stop helps a group manage agenda and decisions around a non-negotiable boundary.
Example
“I have a hard stop at three o'clock.”
When you'll hear this
- meetings
- scheduling
- incident handoff
Common misunderstanding
A hard stop is a boundary rather than a suggestion that the discussion is unimportant.
Also known as
fixed end time
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-25
