Ahoy! Can’t crack this nautical crossword?

As a detective solving the mystery of the crossword clue ‘Stop!,” nautically‘, my initial thought was to consider words and phrases that sailors use to command their ships – specifically, those that signal a halt or cessation of movement. The word ‘avast‘ immediately came to mind, as it is a common nautical term used to order a ship to stop or cease all motion. The term is often used in conjunction with anchor commands, where sailors would use ‘avast‘ to tell the ship to stop letting out or pulling in the anchor chain or line. Additionally, through my research into nautical language, I discovered that ‘avast‘ actually comes from the Old English word ‘hæfest‘, which means ‘hold fast’ or ‘cease’. This provided further evidence that ‘avast‘ was indeed the correct answer to the crossword clue. By carefully considering the context of the clue and researching relevant nautical terminology, I was able to successfully solve the mystery of the crossword clue and provide the correct answer.