sunset

noun

sun·​set ˈsən-ˌset 

1

: the apparent descent of the sun below the horizon

also : the accompanying atmospheric effects

2

: the time when the upper limb of the sun disappears below the horizon as a result of the diurnal rotation of the earth

3

: a period of decline

especially : old age

Synonyms of sunset

• dusk
• night
• twilight
• evening
• sundown

Examples of sunset in a Sentence

We worked from sunrise to sunset.

the golden light of sunset

Recent Examples on the Web

For one notable example, the Portland Trail Blazers own the Milwaukee Bucks’ first-round picks outright in 2029 and via swap in 2030, although the current system sunsets after the 2029 draft and would have to be reauthorized by the league. —John Hollinger, New York Times, 29 May 2026

Jules will step away from a giant canvas to reveal an eerily prescient work of art, pack up her paints, and drive away from her sugar daddy and off into the sunset. —Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026

The general sales tax increase puts money into the county’s general fund for five years and sunsets in October 2031. —Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 29 May 2026

Stargazers in southwestern Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Argentina, Chile, and a handful of other southern hemisphere nations will see the next Blue Moon rise above the eastern horizon at sunset on May 31, with the red light of Antares shining close to the lower right of the lunar disk. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for sunset

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• binet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette

Kids Definition

sunset

noun

sun·​set

-ˌset

1

: the apparent sinking of the sun below the horizon

also : the accompanying atmospheric effects

2

: the time at which the sun sets

Legal Definition

sunset

adjective

sun·​set

: having or being a provision stipulating the termination or repeal of something (as a law, grant, or insurance coverage) on a specified date

sunset laws requiring periodic review of programs to justify their continuance