desist

verb

Definition of desistnext
as in to cease

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word desist distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of desist are cease, discontinue, quit, and stop. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

When would cease be a good substitute for desist?

Although the words cease and desist have much in common, 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 is it sensible to use discontinue instead of desist?

The meanings of discontinue and desist largely overlap; however, discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When might quit be a better fit than desist?

While the synonyms quit and desist are close in meaning, 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 desist?

In some situations, the words stop and desist are roughly equivalent. However, 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 desist Usually, cease-and-desist letters were sufficient. —Bernard Leca, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025 In other developments, state police officers Sunday night served cease-and-desist orders on strikers at their homes, Miller said. —Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2025 The result of a cease-and-desist from Tig Notaro 28. —Vulture Staff, Vulture, 18 Feb. 2025 The official said on Friday that WhatsApp had sent Paragon a cease-and-desist letter following the hack. —Raphael Satter and James Pearson, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for desist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desist
  1. cease
  2. discontinue
  3. stop
  4. halt
  5. finish
  6. terminate
  7. conclude
Verb
  • Yet, for some time now, there has been a third movement that tends to be articulated more in art than elsewhere, even if elsewhere there has long since ceased to be any alternative.
    — Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 June 2025
  • Once retired, income mainly ceases and so does the ability to add funding to retirement accounts.
    — David Kudla, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Definition of cease
Verb
  • In one case, discontinuing the semaglutide resulted in normal saliva production being restored.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • Booz Allen’s civil business is slated to see workforce reductions as federal agencies, including the Department of Defense have discontinued or are reviewing business agreements with contractors.
    — Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 24 May 2025
Definition of discontinue
Verb
  • On September 2, Border Force officers had stopped two women at London Stansted Airport.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 6 June 2025
  • Goldman Sachs and Nasdaq have both stopped requiring companies using them for an IPO to have diverse board members.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 5 June 2025
Definition of stop
Verb
  • The ruling halted a 30% tariff on China, a 25% tariff on certain goods from Mexico and Canada, and 10% baseline tariffs on most of the rest of the world, but did not affect import taxes on steel, aluminum, or automakers, which Trump levied under a different law.
    — Solcyré Burga, Time, 29 May 2025
  • The Kyiv Independent reported that Russia’s foreign minister reiterated that no deal would be considered without committing to NATO halting eastward expansion, which would prevent Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova from ever entering the alliance.
    — Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 29 May 2025
Definition of halt
Verb
  • If one or more teams are level at the end of the group stage, their finishing position will be determined by points obtained in the matches between the sides in question, not goal difference, like at the World Cup.
    — Will Jeanes, New York Times, 6 June 2025
  • Wednesday, Edmonton fans had barely finished singing their Oh Canada anthem a capella (full-throated and lovely) when the lamp lit just 66 seconds into the game on Draisaitl’s snap shot in close, after Sergei Bobrovsky deflected but could not glove the prior shot.
    — Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025
Definition of finish
Verb
  • Last Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security took the extraordinary step of terminating Harvard’s certification to enroll international students; Harvard is suing the D.H.S., and a federal judge has halted the department’s effort.
    — Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
  • The legislation would terminate key tax credits that have supported the industry’s growth, triggering a broad sell-off of solar stocks on Thursday.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 24 May 2025
Definition of terminate
Verb
  • Some investors must be concluding that this is basically a no-growth company.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 29 May 2025
  • Before her game this week against the Phoenix Mercury, Reese was asked about the investigation concluding that the claims were not substantiated.
    — Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 29 May 2025
Definition of conclude

Browse Nearby Words

desirousness
desist
desisted
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Cite this Entry

“Desist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desist. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.

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