What is a time-out in a fight?

This entry describes a time-out as a pause both people can recognize, with a reason and a time to return, so the fight stops before more harm and does not simply vanish. It separates that pause from leaving the room in order to punish, and from refusing to speak for days.

What this entry does not do

It does not replace the entries on the silent treatment or stonewalling, and it does not say walking away without a return is a time-out.