cease

verb \ ˈsēs \

|Updated on: 17 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: cease in a Sentence

Definition of cease

ceased; ceasing

transitive verb

: to cause to come to an end especially gradually : no longer continue

they were forced to cease operations

cease to exist

intransitive verb

1 a : to come to an end

the fighting gradually ceased

b : to bring an activity or action to an end : discontinue

they have been ordered to cease and desist

2 obsolete : to become extinct : die out

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Examples of cease in a Sentence

The fighting along the border has temporarily ceased.
The factory ceased operations last year.
The child would not cease his constant whining.

Recent Examples of cease from the Web

Google has ceased offering YouTube on some Amazon devices in the wake of a dispute that is centered in part around the fact that Amazon will not sell some Amazon-competitive Google hardware products in its online retail store.

— samuel axon, Ars Technica, "Sonos files for IPO, positions its products as alternatives to screen addiction," 6 July 2018
When Say Cheese launched, the golden age of blogs had ceased.

— jeff weiss, latimes.com, "How Instagram and YouTube help underground hip-hop artists and tastemakers find huge audiences," 4 July 2018
What's happened: The fire's forward spread has ceased and some evacuees have returned home.

— jordan cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "Northern California wildfires: Pawnee Fire grows as others approach containment," 27 June 2018
With cable and streaming platforms airing prestige dramas long after the networks end their seasons, the warmer months have ceased to be reliable oases of light entertainment.

— judy berman, Time, "Glow Fades But Stays Fun in Its Second Season," 21 June 2018
The company has ceased producing and distributing these products, while Caito Foods, the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC conduct their investigation.

— dwight adams, Indianapolis Star, "Indianapolis fruit producer believed to be cause of salmonella outbreak tied to melons," 9 June 2018
Since President Donald Trump’s election, Ivanka Trump has ceased managing her brand.

— natasha bach, Fortune, "The Ivanka Trump Brand Just Won a Boatload of New Trademarks in China," 29 May 2018
Edun, the sustainable fashion brand founded by U2’s Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, is ceasing operations.

— sarah spellings, The Cut, "Fashion Label Founded by Bono Is Ceasing Operations," 28 June 2018
Fully 61% of weekly papers and 70% of dailies that have ceased publication since 2004 are in counties with more than 100,000 people.

— The Economist, "Small-town American newspapers are surprisingly resilient," 21 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cease.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cease

Middle English cesen, from Anglo-French cesser, from Latin cessare to hold back, be remiss, frequentative of cedere

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

cease Synonyms

Phrases

bite the dust;

Synonym Discussion of cease

stop, cease, quit, discontinue, desist mean to suspend or cause to suspend activity. stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.