cease

1 of 2

verb

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

cease

2 of 2

noun

: cessation
usually used with without
I kept an eye upon her without ceaseR. L. Stevenson
Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

stopped at the red light

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

quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

Examples of cease in a Sentence

Verb The fighting along the border has temporarily ceased. The factory ceased operations last year. The child would not cease his constant whining. Noun worked without cease for the betterment of humanity
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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
Noun
But throughout the day Monday as those fears of a wider conflict retreated and hopes for a cease fire increased, the price of oil started falling sharply. Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 24 June 2025 Into the deep Below 650 feet, rays of sunlight cease to pierce the deep ocean, which makes up the planet’s largest ecosystem. ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for cease

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

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

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cease was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Cease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cease. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

cease

verb
ˈsēs
ceased; ceasing
: to come or bring to an end : stop

More from Merriam-Webster on cease

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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