complete 1 of 2

1
2
as in to complement
to serve as a completing element to the bird's beautiful song simply completes its appeal for pet owners

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to end
to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point the well-attended concert completed a great weekend of arts and entertainment events

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

complete

2 of 2

adjective

1
2
3
4
5
6

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complete information
detailed information
true information
correct information
comprehensive information
full information
complete understanding
perfect understanding
full understanding
absolute understanding
sufficient understanding
total understanding
complete coverage
total coverage
full coverage
enough coverage
excellent coverage
over-all coverage
a complete list
a detailed list
an extensive list
an exhaustive list
a definitive list
a conclusive list
complete lack
total lack

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb complete differ from other similar words?

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

Where would close be a reasonable alternative to complete?

The meanings of close and complete largely overlap; however, close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.

close a debate

In what contexts can conclude take the place of complete?

While the synonyms conclude and complete are close in meaning, conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).

the service concluded with a blessing

When could end be used to replace complete?

Although the words end and complete have much in common, end conveys a strong sense of finality.

ended his life

When might finish be a better fit than complete?

The words finish and complete can be used in similar contexts, but finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.

after it is painted, the house will be finished

When would terminate be a good substitute for complete?

In some situations, the words terminate and complete are roughly equivalent. 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 complete
Verb
There is also a logic quiz where teams have 60 minutes to complete 20 logic puzzles. Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2025 People whose identity cannot be confirmed or who refuse to complete the additional screening will not be able to pass through airport security, according to the TSA. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025
Adjective
After a year, when the serialization was complete, Pistelli self-published the book using Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform. Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 11 May 2025 Lead occurs naturally in some foods and can also result from environmental pollutants, making its complete elimination a challenge. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for complete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complete
Verb
  • That team finished 7-9. 2002 Dallas Cowboys: Chad Hutchinson, Quincy Carter.
    Jim Reineking, USA Today, 13 May 2025
  • Key Facts Judge Arun Subramanian finished seating the jury of 12 jurors and six alternates Monday morning, before the trial turned to opening statements, in which both the prosecution and defense will lay out their cases.
    Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • The orange citrus complements the lime juice of margarita’s base while the cognac adds depth.
    Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • Is there a manager alive who can make Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé complement each other?
    Brett Koremenos, New York Times, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • The game ended on a sacrifice fly at 1:17 a.m. Arkansas will throw junior right-hander Gage Wood against LSU junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson.
    Matt Jones, Arkansas Online, 11 May 2025
  • Conor McGregor took the UFC featherweight title from Aldo in December 2015 with a nasty knockout, ending the fight in 13 seconds.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • The house not only supplied the actresses with clothes, jewelry, accessories and makeup, but also provided a portion of the budget to allow director Olivier Assayas to fulfill his dream of shooting the movie on 35-mm film instead of digitally.
    Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 13 May 2025
  • But the recent tariff cut has given them a chance to ramp up shipments from China and restock their warehouses and fulfill existing orders, supply chain experts say.
    Anniek Bao,Dylan Butts, CNBC, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • Around 5,000 buildings were destroyed in St. Louis alone, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said in a post on X. Buildings and cars were destroyed, homes are missing entire walls and upper levels of houses and buildings are gone, photos of the disaster show.
    Julia Gomez, USA Today, 19 May 2025
  • As of Sunday morning, the fire crew successfully encircled the entire perimeter of the fire in control lines.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • Honda expects a 650 billion yen hit to its fiscal 2026 operating profit from tariffs in various countries, of which 300 billion yen was due to their impact on imports of around 550,000 finished cars.
    Daniel Leussink, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • This requires multiple days of filming, but then very judicious decisions that need to be made in terms of editing it into a finished film.
    Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • Biss repeated pillars of the comprehensive plan: to allow for more housing in Evanston, to create more housing in Evanston and to implement sustainable practices in Evanston in alignment with the city’s Healthy Business Ordinance.
    Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2025
  • Still, some Republicans are pointing to the recent criminal cases as evidence of a systemic flaw that requires a comprehensive solution, like requiring all Americans to provide a birth certificate, passport or other citizenship document to register to vote.
    Miles Parks, NPR, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • Cricket is not even just fighting against other sports, but also its own with the slew of formats and franchise leagues creating utter confusion amid a congested calendar.
    Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
  • Trump, for his part, has shown no interest in Palestinian civilian life for its own sake (and has demonstrated utter disdain for domestic pro-Palestinian activists).
    Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 12 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Complete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complete. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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