The answer
Use AbortController: const controller = new AbortController(); fetch(url, { signal: controller.signal }). Set a timeout to call controller.abort(). This actually cancels the fetch, not just races it.
Implementing Timeout with Promises in JavaScript
How do you cancel a fetch with a timeout in JavaScript?
More FAQs in Implementing Timeout with Promises in JavaScript
Use Promise.race: race the operation against a timeout promise. Promise.race([fetch('/api'), new Promise((_, reject) => setTimeout(() => reject(new Error('timeout')), 5000))]). If the timeout fires first, the race rejects.
To avoid a memory leak. The timeout promise's timer keeps running even after the race settles. clearTimeout cancels the timer. Use try/finally to clear it regardless of outcome.
No. Promise.race does not cancel the other promises. They continue running; their results are just ignored. For actual cancellation, use AbortController (with fetch) or implement your own cancellation logic.
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