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Synonym Chooser

How is the word discontinue distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of discontinue are cease, desist, quit, and stop. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When might cease be a better fit than discontinue?

In some situations, the words cease and discontinue are roughly equivalent. However, cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality.

by nightfall the fighting had ceased

When can desist be used instead of discontinue?

While the synonyms desist and discontinue are close in meaning, desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

When is it sensible to use quit instead of discontinue?

The meanings of quit and discontinue largely overlap; however, quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

When could stop be used to replace discontinue?

The words stop and discontinue can be used in similar contexts, but stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.

stopped at the red light

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 discontinue Parents and teachers fear a new state law that has required universities to discontinue a number of degrees, including many in elementary and secondary education, will worsen the teacher shortage in Indiana. Tory Basile, IndyStar, 7 Oct. 2025 By 1958, though, as automotive regulators became concerned with large car brands' associations with racing, the FirePower engine was discontinued. Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025 But the winds of change have been swirling around Chili’s, and beloved menu items of years past have been discontinued in order to simplify and streamline the restaurant’s production. Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025 Both products have since been discontinued, and the company has now announced the much more sophisticated Fluid Pro AI. New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for discontinue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discontinue
Verb
  • The humble soybean has become a flashpoint in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies after Beijing ceased all purchases from the US.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Guests who fail to comply will be asked to cease smoking.
    Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The floater that has been such a huge part of his game abandoned him.
    Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Twenty years prior to the present day of the movie, Ray Stoker (Day-Lewis) abandoned his family to live off the grid in a hut in the woods after a scarring incident during the conflict, which pitted Catholics against Protestants within Northern Ireland, and union loyalists against republicans.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The trend shows no signs of stopping.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • To help stop the spread, wash your hands, avoid sick areas, and report symptoms quickly.
    Jenna Anderson, Health, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The funding pause leaves many new homeowners in high-flood risk areas scrambling for protection and could halt the processing of current damage claims.
    Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Before referrals were halted, the effort that placed people at the Civic had already moved hard-to-reach homeless people from the street to a shelter space and, in many cases, then on to long-term housing and stability.
    Ashley Hiruko, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Even down 14-0, the Jaguars never quit.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Russell—toying with the idea of quitting acting for good—jumped coasts.
    Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Get skillets, Dutch ovens, cake pans, and more before the sale ends.
    Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 9 Oct. 2025
  • All federal employees who are not paid during the shutdown, whether they were furloughed or remained working, are entitled by law to back pay once the shutdown ends.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • They’re set to expire in December, and while Congress could act to extend them, a prolonged government shutdown threatens to delay or derail that effort, leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing coverage.
    Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Subban won the Norris Trophy that season, and, once that bridge deal expired, had an arbitration hearing.
    Arpon Basu, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Royal Caribbean cruise ship facing a norovirus outbreak while at sea docked at PortMiami early Thursday morning, concluding a 13-night voyage.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The process concludes with compression and storage.
    Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Discontinue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discontinue. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on discontinue

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