Basics

Stop Order

By Ryan Silk & Lawrence Polatchek · Reviewed April 2026 · Options Trading Glossary

Order triggered at specified price level

What is Stop Order?

Stop Order An order that becomes a market order once a specified trigger price is reached. Used to limit losses or protect profits. Stop orders on options can be risky due to wide bid-ask spreads and fast price moves, potentially resulting in poor fills.

Complete Definition

An order that becomes a market order once a specified trigger price is reached. Used to limit losses or protect profits. Stop orders on options can be risky due to wide bid-ask spreads and fast price moves, potentially resulting in poor fills.

Related Terms

Stop Limit Order Market Order Trailing Stop

Written by

ApexVol Research Team

Quantitative options research

All calculations use live ORATS institutional data — the same source used by professional volatility desks.

Technical reviewer

Ryan Silk, ApexVol Founder

Reviewed for technical accuracy

10+ years trading options. Built ApexVol's pricing engine, Greeks model, and IV-rank methodology.

This guide is updated as market conditions and ORATS data change. Last revised 2026-05-12. How we research →

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