1
as in ending
to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point
the team closed out the season with major losses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excluding
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of
don't assume an attitude that closes out any possibility of a compromise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in closing (down)
to stop the operations of
failing health forced the cardiologist to close out his practice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 closing out
The rapper, 31, took the runway during the 2026 Paraiso Miami Swim Week, closing out the show for her swimwear label, Hot Girl Summer.
—
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Both seniors are extremely busy, closing out their high school careers.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
The German director is presenting her new feature, The Dreamed Adventure, in the competition lineup, closing out the festival on the final Friday, May 22.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
Rahe had pitched three innings and thrown 47 pitches in Thursday’s win over BYU before again closing out Friday’s contest for his ninth save.
—Gary Bedore
may 15, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2026
On this recent and unseasonably warm afternoon, Ronnie, 15, was tasked with closing out an hourlong lecture on free people of color in the Revolutionary War.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
By 2025, the former New York Yankee earned a spot in the starting rotation but struggled with consistency and closing out hitters.
—Annie Heilbrunn, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
The lineup sparked immediate buzz across social media, with the group headlining opening night alongside Jaÿ-Z—a full-circle moment tracing back to their MTV Unplugged collaboration nearly 25 years ago—with Erykah Badu closing out the second night.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Update on Bud Wells After closing out decades of service publishing this weekly report, Bud still reviews cars on his own website and has a newsletter to report those out.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Both seniors are extremely busy, closing out their high school careers.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
The German director is presenting her new feature, The Dreamed Adventure, in the competition lineup, closing out the festival on the final Friday, May 22.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
Rahe had pitched three innings and thrown 47 pitches in Thursday’s win over BYU before again closing out Friday’s contest for his ninth save.
—Gary Bedore
may 15, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2026
On this recent and unseasonably warm afternoon, Ronnie, 15, was tasked with closing out an hourlong lecture on free people of color in the Revolutionary War.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
By 2025, the former New York Yankee earned a spot in the starting rotation but struggled with consistency and closing out hitters.
—Annie Heilbrunn, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
The lineup sparked immediate buzz across social media, with the group headlining opening night alongside Jaÿ-Z—a full-circle moment tracing back to their MTV Unplugged collaboration nearly 25 years ago—with Erykah Badu closing out the second night.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Update on Bud Wells After closing out decades of service publishing this weekly report, Bud still reviews cars on his own website and has a newsletter to report those out.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closing out
Verb
-
That James left Northeast Ohio without ending Cleveland’s excruciating championship drought—the city hadn’t won a major pro sports title since 1964—added to the furor.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
9 June 2026
-
Like Danault, wingers Corey Perry and Warren Foegele were also dealt for draft picks, while Fiala and Kuzmenko sustained season-ending injuries in February.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
San Antonio went into halftime with a 76-49 lead over the Knicks, the largest lead by a road team in Finals history, excluding the 2020 Covid-19 bubble series.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
-
IndieWire’s criteria for inclusion on the Specialized Chart looks at independent and mini-major distributors with films that at their widest release at any point are below 500 screens, excluding event cinema, re-releases, and major Bollywood or Chinese North American releases.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
An iconic New York City tourist destination will soon be shutting its doors for good.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
The textile mill that gave Berkshire its name was the original bad business, one Buffett nursed for 20 years before finally shutting it down.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
One human staffer answers the hotline, another handles finishing the dishes, and the third works the handoff to delivery drivers.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
-
But since the calendar flipped to June, Webb has morphed back into the workhorse who has led the National League in innings pitched for three consecutive seasons, finishing in the top six in Cy Young voting eachof those years.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Steil, who is working with House GOP leadership on his bill, plans to attach the language to legislation banning lawmakers from buying stocks.—
Emily Wilkins,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
But blacklisting a company for maintaining civil rights protections, and then banning the military deployment of its AI hours later, shows that the federal government in this instance enables the harm that regulation is meant to prevent.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
In 2025, soon after closing its merger with Skydance, Paramount clinched a 7-year deal with the UFC as the mixed martial arts circuit was wrapping its deal with ESPN.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
-
DeSantis seems more open to the idea of closing Alligator Alcatraz.—
Eric Schlosser,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
This new round of chaos only feeds the anxiety that has enveloped the California Democratic Party for months, stirred by fears that the lack of a singular party front-runner might lead to two Republicans winding up on the November ballot.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Newsom is winding up eight years as governor with a mixed record at best.—
Tom Philp,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Mavericks won Game 1 of the ECHL’s best-of-seven championship series on Friday night, shutting out Florida 6-0 at Cable Dahmer Arena.—
Jeff Rosen,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
-
The Wildcats scored five unanswered goals in the final quarter, shutting out the Tar Heels for the last 15 minutes of the game.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closing%20out. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
