conclude

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conclude The Browns mandatory minicamp concluded on June 12, and the three-day session ended the team’s organized offseason program. Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2025 The first began in September 2017 and concluded in October 2019, focusing on the events of the night itself through witness testimony. Time, 20 June 2025 California police have broad discretion to withhold investigative records indefinitely and regardless of whether the investigation has concluded. Calmatters, Mercury News, 20 June 2025 The Miami Herald’s three-part NBA Draft preview concludes with a look at the big men who are expected to be selected in the Heat’s range. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for conclude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conclude
Verb
  • States would be responsible for them, and — miracle of miracles — state and federal agencies actually agreed on how to manage grizzlies after ESA protections end.
    Christine Peterson, Vox, 27 June 2025
  • Episodes ended by dangling game rules and character deaths, beguiling us to keep watching.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Without any consequences, this autocratic politician will continue to push the limits of his authority beyond the breaking point until someone forces him to stop.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 June 2025
  • Paul Goldschmidt had one of just three Yankees hits in Saturday’s 7-0 loss to the A’s, but that didn’t stop him from sharing some self-depreciation after the game.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • Palm Beach County Commissioner Sara Baxter has rushed to arrange a commission vote, ratifying it.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2025
  • Attentive staffers will be on hand for towel drops and spritz refills, as well as to help arrange water sports or beach games.
    Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Two of the officials said they were told the administration has decided to award the money.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 June 2025
  • Always, along the chain of hectic audience gossip, there was one person who decided to nip in the bud the talk about a too iconoclastic Beckett, and the relay to the estate was stopped; someone—more than one someone—who decided that Matthew and his crazy dreams were worth shielding.
    Han Ong, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • People don’t often understand how much support goes into helping a refugee get acclimated to life in the U.S., especially early on, one employee that asked not to be named told The Star.
    Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2025
  • But to do the first Soto trade justice, the franchise’s win-now window of 2022-24 has to be appreciated and understood.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Expectations Having finished as runners-up last time around, Morocco can only aim to do one better this year.
    Neel Shelat, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • Of course, 2019 was a long time ago, and last year was the first time he’s finished a season above .904 since then.
    Max Bultman, New York Times, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • Seven of the health facilities that Save the Children had supported in the region have fully closed, and 20 more have partly ceased operations.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 June 2025
  • In 2021, Iran revealed its plan for taking enrichment from 20% to 60%, and soon afterward ceased to provide any further details on its fuel-making program.
    Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Deals like those could get done before the official start time because teams are allowed to negotiate with their own free agents once the NBA Finals are finished.
    Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
  • The White House told Newsweek that Trump had been working to help farmers, including eliminating 10 regulations for every new regulation, as well as negotiating the U.K. trade deal, which expanded the markets available to them.
    Billal Rahman Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Conclude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conclude. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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