cease 1 of 2

cease

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word cease distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of cease are desist, discontinue, quit, and stop. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," 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 can desist be used instead of cease?

The words desist and cease can be used in similar contexts, but desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

In what contexts can discontinue take the place of cease?

The synonyms discontinue and cease are sometimes interchangeable, but discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When is it sensible to use quit instead of cease?

While in some cases nearly identical to cease, quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

When would stop be a good substitute for cease?

In some situations, the words stop and cease 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 cease
Verb
The order instructs the testing facility to cease operations as of July 4, and gives them 21 days to request for a hearing over the commission’s action. Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 2 July 2025 When the questioning ceased, committee Chair Rep. Doug Miller R-Elkhart, thanked the fruitful advocates for their time. Anna Cecil, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Noun
The Buildings Department gave the elevator company a summons for failing to safeguard the dumbwaiter and issued a cease use order, preventing the club from using it until it was fully repaired and reinspected, an agency spokesman said. Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2025 The family is requesting that such misinformation cease, and that respect be shown for the memory of their mother. Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cease
Verb
  • The toddler stopped crying about 15 minutes after she had been put down for a nap.
    Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2025
  • Such as when our yellow Lab Frank couldn’t stop wagging his tail while digging a hole.
    David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • Environmental concerns about the airport’s impact on the Everglades halted plans to develop the facility further in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
  • That plan would halt roughly $522 billion in investments, many of which are based in red states.
    Elena Moore, NPR, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • After several days of intense fighting, a cessation of hostilities was announced, with Trump taking credit.
    Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 25 June 2025
  • Two likely causes are an increase in food availability due to the recent wet winters (more rain leads to more plants and seeds, which lead to healthy rodent populations), and a cessation of the distemper epidemic that has decimated the populations of these animals in the Bay Area in recent years.
    Alison Hermance, Mercury News, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • Taking effect in September 2026 and extending through the 2029-30 season, the new CBA was passed by a majority vote from both the NHL’s Board of Governors and the NHL Players’ Association, more than 14 months before the current agreement expires.
    Jesse Granger, New York Times, 9 July 2025
  • Indeed, the executive order that established ORM and requires regulatory analysis expires in June 2026.
    Susan E. Dudley, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • Trump also described battlefield losses and touted his credentials as a leader who can end wars.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
  • Isn’t there anybody who can end this cycle before another person loses her life savings?
    Rebecca Keegan, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • That ending is the most important scene and is very much in direct contact with the overarching theme that penetrates all three seasons.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025
  • In addition, the Squid Game Season 3 ending certainly seems to allude to the format going international.
    Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Hong Kong concluded its stablecoin consultation in early 2025, signaling a shift toward regulatory recognition in Asia.
    Elizabeth Rossiello, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • The series will conclude with its upcoming fifth season, to be released in three parts on Nov. 26, Dec. 25 and Dec. 31.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • In April alone, 3.2 million Americans quit their jobs.
    Julia Korn, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • To say the quiet part out loud: many athletes have previously felt that choosing to have a child meant having to quit.
    L'Oréal Blackett, Refinery29, 30 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cease. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on cease

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!