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Definition of completenext
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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

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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

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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
More than 213 women have completed the program, according to Barred Business. — Daniel Wilkerson, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 And in 2025, while 55% of third graders in Marlin schools were reading at grade level, just 40% were completing math questions at grade level. — Daniel H. Robinson, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Daniels heaved a fourth-and-21 pass to the end zone — complete to Michahi Danzy for a touchdown. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026 This means the submarine’s main structure is effectively now complete. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for complete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complete
Verb
  • Founder Marty Odlin told me the company had not finished developing sensors and methods to reliably measure key properties such as pH and dissolved inorganic carbon.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The two sides reworked Norvell’s deal in December 2024 after the Seminoles finished 2-10 in the program’s worst season in 50 years.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The project, estimated to cost between $160 million and $170 million, is designed to complement the Bloch Building on the museum’s east side.
    — Neil Nakahodo, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026
  • States will also have a say, and sometimes that may complement or conflict with their own cities.
    — Andrew Hawkins, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The second was collapsing supermassive stars, which end their lives as supernovae.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • But little progress has been made towards implementing a deal to end the conflict that includes terms for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its troops.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • While eliminating progressive programs, Walls said the state should fulfill its obligation to fully and equally fund all public schools.
    — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The perfecting statement and requested cure The notice must explicitly state that it is served to fulfill the procedural prerequisite for pursuing the statutory civil remedy.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Charlotte was down by 35 points after three quarters, and the entire fourth quarter amounted to garbage time.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • One of them is José Antonio Bañuelos-Díaz, 42, who applied for citizenship in October 2025 after living in the country for 40 years and spending his entire adult life as a legal permanent resident.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The yeast and bacteria in the starter don’t survive baking in meaningful numbers, so the finished bread doesn’t deliver live cultures to your gut.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The Horned Frogs also captured the Big 12 regular-season title and finished runner-up in the Big 12 Tournament.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • In addition to this, more comprehensive work looking into how natto appears to improve bone health has made this avenue of research particularly interesting.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2026
  • This made the discovery more comprehensive, but almost made clear that the flaw was more serious than Calif had originally realized, an OpenAI spokesperson told Fortune.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • These accusations are utter nonsense, concocted from distortions, half-truths and lies.
    — Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The board’s first mission—to pacify and bring lawful governance to Gaza—has been an utter failure.
    — Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Complete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complete. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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