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Synonym Chooser

How is the word discontinue distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of discontinue are cease, desist, quit, and stop. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When might cease be a better fit than discontinue?

In some situations, the words cease and discontinue are roughly equivalent. However, 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 discontinue?

While the synonyms desist and discontinue are close in meaning, desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

When is it sensible to use quit instead of discontinue?

The meanings of quit and discontinue largely overlap; however, quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

When could stop be used to replace discontinue?

The words stop and discontinue can be used in similar contexts, but 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 discontinue Consumers in possession of the affected products are advised to discontinue use and follow instructions issued by the distributor or regulatory authorities. David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025 Google Power Profile: Google’s Pixel Stand chargers charged certain Pixel phones, like the Pixel 8 Pro, at up to 23 watts, but the Pixel Stand has been discontinued. Simon Hill, Wired News, 10 Apr. 2025 Kennedy’s move comes weeks after Lincoln County commissioners voted to discontinue the use of fluoride in the county’s drinking water. Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2025 Framework Computer, another PC vendor, has also temporarily discontinued several base models of the company’s 13-inch laptop, citing Trump’s tariffs on Taiwan. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for discontinue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discontinue
Verb
  • That shouldn’t be a surprise because the Packers would rather cease to exist as a franchise than draft an offensive lineman who can’t play at least three.
    Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Without these little guys and their fellow pollinators, our gardens would be devoid of fruit, our flowers would not spread, and many species that rely on them would cease to exist.
    Katie Akin, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Biden’s Justice Department ultimately abandoned the gambit and left Trump to head to trial, where a jury ordered him to pay $83.3 million.
    Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
  • At this point, what started as a throwaway joke has grown into something vaguely earnest — too big to fail and too enmeshed in the neighborhood to be abandoned in good conscience.
    Nate Rogers, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • When the American money stopped flowing, the local soup kitchen closed and Ms. Musa went out searching for food.
    Declan Walsh, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The confrontation stopped and restarted as the man appeared to try to get the knife away from Perez over the fence.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Some see Maine as a precursor to what California can expect: a Trump administration attempt to halt federal education funding.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
  • But last week, the Trump administration ordered him to halt all the lab’s ALS research immediately as part of a more than $2.2 billion federal funding freeze.
    Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • There are myriad, clear alcohol health risks that can be improved by quitting drinking altogether or lowering alcohol consumption.
    Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Another member of Diddy’s defense team, Anthony Ricco, previously quit the case in February.
    Justin Curto, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Major automakers want Congress to bar California's landmark plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035 that has been adopted by 11 other states, warning the rules could begin impacting vehicle shipments in a few months.
    David Shepardson, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
  • The three-time Pro Bowler’s placement on this list is operating under the assumption that Andrews is content remaining with the Ravens and hasn’t become disenchanted with all of the trade speculation and criticism he’s gotten for how Baltimore’s 2024 season ended.
    Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The plan allegedly started in April 2022, after the IPO lockup period expired and despite advisor warnings, including one from a capital markets consultant that such a trading plan likely breached Backblaze’s fiduciary duties.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2025
  • The approach, pushed by some Senate Republicans, would essentially count the 2017 tax cuts, which expire this year, as ongoing policy that doesn't cost anything to extend.
    Claudia Grisales, NPR, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • This Wedding Banquet concludes with a scene of Angela, Lee, Min, and Chris jointly raising two children, the kid Angela had after a drunken fling with Chris and the one Lee had through the IVF that Min funded.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
  • The events will conclude with the beginning of the Novemdiales, a symbolic and procedural period of nine days of prayer, mourning and remembrance.
    Gabriele Regalbuto, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Discontinue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discontinue. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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