Synonyms of conclude

conclude

verb

kən-ˈklüd 

1

as in to end

to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point

a brief reminder of tonight's game concluded the announcements

Synonyms & Similar Words

• end
• finish
• complete
• close
• terminate
• round (off or out)
• wind up
• put paid to
• wrap up
• ring down the curtain (on)
• close out
• suspend
• crown
• perfect
• stop
• consummate
• climax
• halt

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• begin
• start
• commence
• open
• inaugurate

2

as in to stop

to come to an end

the concert concluded late in the evening

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stop
• end
• cease
• expire
• halt
• go
• terminate
• finish
• pass
• determine
• close
• die
• discontinue
• elapse
• let up
• lapse
• leave off
• quit
• break off
• wind up
• break up
• stall
• wink (out)
• bite the dust
• refrain (from)
• pause
• dead-end
• suspend
• desist (from)
• lay off (of)
• stay
• pack (up or in)
• cut out
• break down
• give over
• abate
• knock off
• wind down
• peter (out)
• conk (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continue
• persist
• hang on
• extend
• prolong
• draw out
• protract

3

as in to arrange

to bring about through discussion and compromise

concluded an economic agreement among the world's leading industrial nations

Synonyms & Similar Words

• arrange
• negotiate
• discuss
• concert
• bargain
• deal
• agree
• settle (on or upon)
• argue
• haggle
• talk
• reason
• debate
• talk over
• renegotiate
• contract
• palter
• hammer out
• work out
• covenant
• horse-trade
• dicker
• chaffer
• hash (over)

4

as in to decide

to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration

he concluded that the reprimand could wait until later

Synonyms & Similar Words

• decide
• choose
• figure
• opt
• determine
• find
• resolve
• settle (on or upon)
• select
• rule
• prefer
• pick
• elect
• name
• decree
• ponder
• contemplate
• consider
• study
• adjudicate
• rule (on)
• think (about or over)
• arbitrate
• adjudge
• debate
• judge
• weigh
• deliberate
• cull
• entertain
• single (out)
• meditate
• handpick
• question
• cogitate
• ruminate
• referee
• mull (over)
• chew over
• umpire

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• refuse
• reject
• decline
• hesitate
• abstain
• turn down
• delay
• halt
• temporize
• stall
• vacillate
• waver
• waffle
• shilly-shally

5

as in to understand

to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information

concluded that only the murderer could possibly have known that information

Synonyms & Similar Words

• understand
• derive
• decide
• infer
• think
• guess
• deduce
• assume
• extrapolate
• speculate
• reason
• judge
• suppose
• ascertain
• read
• surmise
• gather
• make out
• draw a conclusion
• interpret
• construe
• conjecture
• contemplate
• rationalize
• find out
• philosophize
• dope (out)

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb conclude differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of conclude are close, complete, end, finish, and terminate. While all these words mean "to bring or come to a stopping point or limit," conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).

the service concluded with a blessing

Where would close be a reasonable alternative to conclude?

While the synonyms close and conclude are close in meaning, close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.

close a debate

When is it sensible to use complete instead of conclude?

The meanings of complete and conclude largely overlap; however, complete implies the removal of all deficiencies or a successful finishing of what has been undertaken.

the resolving of this last issue completes the agreement

When might end be a better fit than conclude?

The synonyms end and conclude are sometimes interchangeable, but end conveys a strong sense of finality.

ended his life

In what contexts can finish take the place of conclude?

The words finish and conclude can be used in similar contexts, but finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.

after it is painted, the house will be finished

When could terminate be used to replace conclude?

In some situations, the words terminate and conclude are roughly equivalent. However, terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space.

your employment terminates after three months

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of conclude

The Department of Education has concluded that those policies discriminate against female students by denying them safety, dignity and equal access to school programs. —Olivia Young, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026

The economics for standalone games based on international tournaments, developers have concluded, don’t add up. —Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 14 Mar. 2026

The UConn men’s basketball team needed a hard reset after the regular season concluded. —Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2026

The Soviet Union then sent nine more missions to Venus as landers and orbiters, concluding with the successful Venera 16 in 1983. —Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 13 Mar. 2026