diff --git a/autosklearn/automl.py b/autosklearn/automl.py
index 93fde84330..1d37cb2321 100644
--- a/autosklearn/automl.py
+++ b/autosklearn/automl.py
@@ -652,6 +652,7 @@ def fit(
                 # space
                 self._backend.save_start_time(self._seed)
 
+            progress_bar.start()
             self._stopwatch = StopWatch()
 
             # Make sure that input is valid
@@ -970,7 +971,7 @@ def fit(
             self._logger.exception(e)
             raise e
         finally:
-            progress_bar.stop()
+            progress_bar.join()
             self._fit_cleanup()
 
         self.fitted = True
diff --git a/autosklearn/util/progress_bar.py b/autosklearn/util/progress_bar.py
index 7ccd3bc153..c1eb3139f8 100644
--- a/autosklearn/util/progress_bar.py
+++ b/autosklearn/util/progress_bar.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 from typing import Any
 
 import datetime
@@ -10,22 +12,45 @@
 class ProgressBar(Thread):
     """A Thread that displays a tqdm progress bar in the console.
 
-    It is specialized to display information relevant to fitting to the training data
-    with auto-sklearn.
+    Treat this class as an ordinary thread. So to display a progress bar,
+    call start() on an instance of this class. To wait for the thread to
+    terminate call join(), which will max out the progress bar,
+    therefore terminate this thread immediately.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
     total : int
-        The total amount that should be reached by the progress bar once it finishes
-    update_interval : float
-        Specifies how frequently the progress bar is updated (in seconds)
-    disable : bool
-        Turns on or off the progress bar. If True, this thread won't be started or
-        initialized.
-    kwargs : Any
+        The total amount that should be reached by the progress bar once it finishes.
+    update_interval : float, default=1.0
+        Specifies how frequently the progress bar is updated (in seconds).
+    disable : bool, default=False
+        Turns on or off the progress bar. If True, this thread does not get
+        initialized and won't be started if start() is called.
+    tqdm_kwargs : Any, optional
         Keyword arguments that are passed into tqdm's constructor. Refer to:
-        `tqdm <https://tqdm.github.io/docs/tqdm/>`_. Note that postfix can not be
-        specified in the kwargs since it is already passed into tqdm by this class.
+        `tqdm <https://tqdm.github.io/docs/tqdm/>`_ for a list of parameters that
+        tqdm accepts. Note that 'postfix' cannot be specified in the kwargs since it is
+        already passed into tqdm by this class.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+
+    .. code:: python
+
+        progress_bar = ProgressBar(
+            total=10,
+            desc="Executing code that runs for 10 seconds",
+            colour="green",
+        )
+        # colour is a tqdm parameter passed as a tqdm_kwargs
+        try:
+            progress_bar.start()
+            # some code that runs for 10 seconds
+        except SomeException:
+            # something went wrong
+        finally:
+            progress_bar.join()
+            # perform some cleanup
     """
 
     def __init__(
@@ -33,7 +58,7 @@ def __init__(
         total: int,
         update_interval: float = 1.0,
         disable: bool = False,
-        **kwargs: Any,
+        **tqdm_kwargs: Any,
     ):
         self.disable = disable
         if not disable:
@@ -41,28 +66,27 @@ def __init__(
             self.total = total
             self.update_interval = update_interval
             self.terminated: bool = False
-            self.kwargs = kwargs
-            # start this thread
-            self.start()
+            self.tqdm_kwargs = tqdm_kwargs
 
-    def run(self) -> None:
-        """Display a tqdm progress bar in the console.
+    def start(self) -> None:
+        """Start a new thread that calls the run() method."""
+        if not self.disable:
+            super().start()
 
-        Additionally, it shows useful information related to the task. This method
-        overrides the run method of Thread.
-        """
+    def run(self) -> None:
+        """Display a tqdm progress bar in the console."""
         if not self.disable:
             for _ in trange(
                 self.total,
                 postfix=f"The total time budget for this task is "
                 f"{datetime.timedelta(seconds=self.total)}",
-                **self.kwargs,
+                **self.tqdm_kwargs,
             ):
                 if not self.terminated:
                     time.sleep(self.update_interval)
 
-    def stop(self) -> None:
-        """Terminates the thread."""
+    def join(self, timeout: float | None = None) -> None:
+        """Maxes out the progress bar and thereby terminating this thread."""
         if not self.disable:
             self.terminated = True
-            super().join()
+            super().join(timeout)