end 1 of 2

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as in to finish
to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point let's end the meeting with a short prayer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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end

2 of 2

noun

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as in remainder
an unused or unwanted piece or item typically of small size or value a couple of ends of wallpaper were all that was left after we finished papering the room

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in tip
the last and usually sharp or tapering part of something long and narrow a child's pair of scissors with blunt ends

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb end differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of end are close, complete, conclude, finish, and terminate. While all these words mean "to bring or come to a stopping point or limit," end conveys a strong sense of finality.

ended his life

When might close be a better fit than end?

In some situations, the words close and end are roughly equivalent. However, close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.

close a debate

When could complete be used to replace end?

While the synonyms complete and end are close in meaning, 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

When can conclude be used instead of end?

The synonyms conclude and end are sometimes interchangeable, but conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).

the service concluded with a blessing

In what contexts can finish take the place of end?

While in some cases nearly identical to end, finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.

after it is painted, the house will be finished

When is terminate a more appropriate choice than end?

The meanings of terminate and end largely overlap; however, terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space.

your employment terminates after three months

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 end
Verb
Ukraine and its European allies (who have not been invited to the talks) also argue that Putin is not serious about ending the conflict of more than three years. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2025 Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after striking out Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels to end the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim... Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
Let Wednesday stand as the unofficial end of San Francisco’s season — the day the last bit of hope was extinguished. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025 If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, preferably past the end of a guard rail, and wait until the storm passes. Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for end
Recent Examples of Synonyms for end
Verb
  • Verlander set a season-high in innings and finished one away from his personal-best this year in strikeouts.
    Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2025
  • That production resulted in him winning the Offensive Player of the Year award and finishing third in the MVP balloting.
    Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • After that the Padres, out of nowhere, just stopped hitting.
    Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025
  • For the the Lynx system replaced by Scout vans, buses will stop running routes on Jan. 10.
    Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • According to the memo, a preliminary investigation concluded that a woman, driving a BMW SUV, failed to yield when turning left, resulting in a collision with Hinds.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
  • In some cases, local prosecutors have clashed with federal immigration officials over attempts to deport crime defendants or witnesses before their cases conclude.
    John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In the past six years, more than 20 kids have died from unintentional shootings in Indianapolis, and in just over half of those cases, someone was criminally charged.
    Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2025
  • His Victor is the product of a coddling mother (Mia Goth), who dies young and leaves him emotionally adrift, and a domineering father (Charles Dance), who molds him into a brilliant but heedless inventor.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The ending to our season really speaks to that question.
    Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
  • It was released from trigeminal nerve endings surrounding cranial blood vessels.
    Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The current guidelines drinking – a limit of two drinks or less per day for men, and one per day for women – have been the same since 1990.
    Jeffrey Kopp, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Here are the inspection scores and violations for restaurants within the city limits of Dallas for Aug. 3rd - Aug. 9th, 2025.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • With Gordon out of the game, the Boston bats went quickly and quietly for nearly the entire remainder of the game.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 3 Aug. 2025
  • For those who are charitably inclined, the after-tax amount of a traditional IRA distribution can generate lifetime income when it is used to fund a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust.
    Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • As a whole, aviation has a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, although that gets less likely by the year as sustainable aviation fuel development and scaling stalls.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Liverpool’s head coach singled out individual mistakes again for Bournemouth’s second goal of the night.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“End.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/end. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.

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