end

noun

\ ˈend

Definition of end

(Entry 1 of 5)

1a : the part of an area that lies at the boundary

b(1) : a point that marks the extent of something

(2) : the point where something ceases to exist world without end

c : the extreme or last part lengthwise : tip

d : the terminal unit of something spatial that is marked off by units

e : a player stationed at the extremity of a line or team (as in football)

2a : cessation of a course of action, pursuit, or activity

b : death, destruction

c(1) : the ultimate state

(2) : result, issue

3 : something incomplete, fragmentary, or undersized : remnant

4a : an outcome worked toward : purpose the end of poetry is to be poetry— R. P. Warren

b : the object by virtue of or for the sake of which an event takes place

5a : a share in an undertaking kept your end up

b : a particular operation or aspect of an undertaking or organization the sales end of the business

6 : something that is extreme : ultimate —used with the

7 : a period of action or turn in any of various sports events (such as archery or lawn bowling)

in the end

: after all, ultimately will surely succeed in the end

no end

: exceedingly it pleases us no end

on end

: without a stop or letup it rained for days on end

end

verb (1)

ended; ending; ends

Definition of end (Entry 2 of 5)

transitive verb

1a : to bring to an end

b : destroy

2 : to make up the end of a wedding scene ends the film

intransitive verb

1a : to come to an end the meeting will end at noon

b : to reach a specified ultimate rank, situation, or place —usually used with up ended up as a colonel

2 : die

end

adjective

Definition of end (Entry 3 of 5)

: final, ultimate end results end markets

end

verb (2)

ended; ending; ends

Definition of end (Entry 4 of 5)

transitive verb

dialectal, England

: to put (grain or hay) into a barn or stack

end-

combining form

variants: or endo-

Definition of end- (Entry 5 of 5)

1 : within : inside endoskeleton — compare ect-, exo-

2 : taking in endothermic

Other Words from end Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about end

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Choose the Right Synonym for end

Noun

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal mean what one intends to accomplish or attain. intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about. announced his intention to marry intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness. the clear intent of the statute purpose suggests a more settled determination. being successful was her purpose in life design implies a more carefully calculated plan. the order of events came by accident, not design aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing. her aim was to raise film to an art form end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such. willing to use any means to achieve his end object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need. his constant object was the achievement of pleasure objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable. their objective is to seize the oil fields goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship. worked years to reach her goals

Verb (1)

close, end, conclude, finish, complete, terminate mean to bring or come to a stopping point or limit. close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished. close a debate end conveys a strong sense of finality. ended his life conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting). the service concluded with a blessing finish may stress completion of a final step in a process. after it is painted, the house will be finished 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 terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space. your employment terminates after three months

Examples of end in a Sentence

Noun

The report is due at the end of the month. She interviewed several players at the end of the game. The restaurant is in the north end of the city. We biked from one end of the island to the other. The house is at the end of the road. They live at opposite ends of town. the deep end of a swimming pool She drove the end of the stake into the ground. The car's front end was damaged. One end of the rope was tangled.

Adjective

the end product of a process the end point of the operation

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Crews prepared several public-use cabins on the north end of the fire, but they weren’t immediately threatened. — Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, "Smoke returns to Anchorage as hot weather fans Swan Lake wildfire," 5 July 2019 This outflow valve is on the opposite end of the plane from the toe of the sock, and would therefore act in opposition, airflow-wise, to the air pump protecting the crew from disease. — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "The Airplanes That Rescue Ebola Patients," 5 July 2019 Capable of living headless for weeks on end, holding their breath for around five to seven minutes and even surviving nuclear radiation, the insects serve as formidable foes for humans hoping to rid their homes of pesky roach infestations. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Not Even Chemicals Can Stop the Indomitable Cockroach," 5 July 2019 The team’s recent struggles have come, in part, from a decline on the defensive end. — Julia Poe, Pro Soccer USA, "Orlando City set for back-to-back bouts with Philadelphia Union," 4 July 2019 The rollers, which taper off on either end, help kids learn to balance, rather than relying on the stability of training wheels, said Eric Marr of iCan Bike. — Christine Condon, baltimoresun.com, "'Truly happy to be able to be free': Children with disabilities learn to ride bikes at Harford County summer camp," 3 July 2019 White sat on the bed, his head resting against the frame, while his brother sat on the other end by the TV, mumbling commands into a headset for the fantasy video game Fortnite. — Ava Kofman, ProPublica, "Digital Jail: How Electronic Monitoring Drives Defendants Into Debt," 3 July 2019 Of course, on the other end of the political spectrum the reaction was different. — Kate Gibson, CBS News, "Nike flag flap leaves conservatives looking for "not so woke" shoes," 3 July 2019 Should Calipari heed the calls for more 3-point shooting, this lineup could be particularly potent on the offensive end. — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, "Calipari has no shortage of options for picking Kentucky's starting lineup next season," 2 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In the second trial, which ended in June, those convicted were Ignacy Brzezinski, 52, and Wojciech Nowakowski, 41. — Fox News, "UK ‘modern day slavery’ ring that forced 400 victims to work for under 75 cents a day busted," 6 July 2019 After the game, those opening minutes were all coach James O’Connor could focus on, pointing to the period as the dagger that ended the game. — Julia Poe, Pro Soccer USA, "Three things we learned from Orlando City’s 3-1 loss to Philadelphia," 6 July 2019 House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, made eliminating the certificate of need programs a top priority during the legislative session that ended in May. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the CON measure into law last month. — Christine Sexton, sun-sentinel.com, "Florida regulators float new rules in hospital wars," 5 July 2019 Baron Brown said the woman stole a Ferndale patrol car and led officers on a chase that ended in a crash in the area of 7 Mile Road and Stoepel Street. — Micah Walker, Detroit Free Press, "Woman arrested after stealing, crashing Ferndale police car," 5 July 2019 Jon Watts’ journey from indie films to blockbusters has become a familiar story over the past decade, though the story doesn’t always end so happily. — Noel Murray, The Verge, "Cop Car shows where Spider-Man: Far From Home director Jon Watts learned action and storytelling," 5 July 2019 All Dent could think was that there was no way this situation ended well. — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "The Airplanes That Rescue Ebola Patients," 5 July 2019 The meeting with Toronto was the first of an important three-game home swing that will end with an El Trafico meeting with LAFC on July 19. — Jack Harris, latimes.com, "Zlatan Ibrahimovic provides the fireworks in the Galaxy’s victory," 4 July 2019 During legislative session that ended in May, lawmakers approved industrial hemp — which comes from the same plant as marijuana — with House Bill 1325, ushering in a new definition of what counts as pot. — Keri Blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Four Texas DAs announce shared plan to stop charging low-level pot cases in light of hemp bill," 3 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The boy, who had already had one lung transplantation for cystic fibrosis, was now in end-stage respiratory failure. — Melissa Bailey, USA TODAY, "Miracle medical machine ECMO makes heroic rescues, but leaves patients in limbo," 17 June 2019 During all her struggles with end-stage kidney disease, Perry has managed to capture glimmers of hope. — Deanese Williams-harris, chicagotribune.com, "People are using social media to improve their odds of finding organ donors: 'Doing it can save my life'," 6 July 2018 Ealy, who has a played with the Carolina Panthers, New England Panthers and New York Jets since he was picked in the second round out of Missouri in 2014, can play both end spots and provide some reps inside, according to a source. — Clarence E. Hill Jr., star-telegram, "Cowboys add sixth bargain free agent, agree to 1-year deal with DE Kony Ealy | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 5 Apr. 2018 Inspiring creativity, innovation, problem solving, and teamwork in our students are end goals of our Makerspace areas throughout the District. — Shirley Macfarland, cleveland.com, "SouthPark Mall offers free retail space to local entrepreneurs: Strong Points," 23 Feb. 2018 After choosing the perfect name, D'Agostino's next step was determining whether her end goal was a storefront, or simply a pop-up/custom order kind of shop. — Julia Sayers, AL.com, "Meet the woman behind downtown Birmingham's most heavenly chocolates," 15 Dec. 2017 The source said that talks are advanced enough that something could be completed before the Winter Meetings end Thursday at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. — Zach Buchanan, Cincinnati.com, "Giants, Reds seriously discussing Billy Hamilton swap," 12 Dec. 2017 Friends End-of-Summer Warehouse Sale, 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Friends of the Public Library Warehouse, 8456 Vine St., Hartwell. — Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati.com, "Things to do this week: Aug. 15-20," 15 Aug. 2017 About 15 minutes later, deputies say Simon’s car was captured on surveillance video driving to a dead end street near where East’s body was found. — David Harris, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Woman shot to death over drug debt, dumped in woods in Orange County, deputies say," 7 Aug. 2017

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

First Known Use of end

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1607, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for end

Noun

Middle English ende, from Old English; akin to Old High German enti end, Latin ante before, Greek anti against

Verb (2)

probably alteration of English dialect in to harvest

Combining form

French, from Greek, from endon within; akin to Greek en in, Old Latin indu, Hittite andan within — more at in

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Dictionary Entries near end

Statistics for end

Last Updated

8 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for end

The first known use of end was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for end

end

noun

English Language Learners Definition of end

: a point that marks the limit of something : the point at which something no longer continues to happen or exist

: the last part of a story, movie, song, etc.

: the part at the edge or limit of an area

See the full definition for end in the English Language Learners Dictionary

end

noun

\ ˈend

Kids Definition of end

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the part near the boundary of an area I live in the city's north end.

2 : the point where something stops or ceases to exist That's the end of the story.

3 : the first or last part of a thing She knotted the end of the rope.

4 : death sense 1, destruction “You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter …”— J. K. Rowling, Chamber of Secrets

5 : purpose, goal

6 : a player in football positioned at the end of the line of scrimmage

7 : a part of an undertaking He kept his end of the agreement.

end

verb

ended; ending

Kids Definition of end (Entry 2 of 2)

: to bring or come to an end : stop, finish I wish vacation would never end. He ended the discussion.

end up

: to reach or come to a place, condition, or situation unexpectedly “… unless you make a deal with his dad, you're going to end up with nothing …”— Andrew Clements, Frindle