Synonyms of end

end 1 of 2

verb

1

as in to finish

to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point

let's end the meeting with a short prayer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• finish
• conclude
• close
• complete
• terminate
• wind up
• round (off or out)
• crown
• wrap up
• put paid to
• close out
• climax
• ring down the curtain (on)
• perfect
• consummate
• stop
• suspend
• halt

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• begin
• start
• open
• commence
• inaugurate

2

as in to stop

to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

unfortunately, an argument ended their date, and they're still not speaking to each other

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stop
• cease
• halt
• quit
• finish
• conclude
• delay
• drop
• cut off
• lay off
• shut off
• break
• discontinue
• suspend
• cut out
• pack (up or in)
• desist (from)
• leave off
• break off
• have done with
• can
• complete
• break up
• give over
• knock off
• check
• close (down)
• block
• stay
• ruin
• put the kibosh on
• stem
• pause
• hinder
• dam
• impede
• hold back
• blockade
• hold
• turn back
• obstruct
• brake
• deactivate
• abolish
• abort
• call
• scuttle
• destroy
• arrest
• stamp
• suppress
• rein (in)
• dissolve
• clamp down
• stunt
• detain
• squelch
• kill
• squash
• snuff
• annul
• demolish
• stanch
• kibosh

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continue
• carry on
• proceed
• run on
• keep up
• advance
• progress
• follow through (with)
• drive
• stir
• propel
• actuate
• impel

3

as in to conclude

to come to an end

a book so good that you hate to see it end

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stop
• conclude
• expire
• cease
• halt
• finish
• close
• pass
• terminate
• go
• die
• stall
• lapse
• determine
• wind up
• discontinue
• leave off
• elapse
• break off
• quit
• dead-end
• break up
• let up
• wink (out)
• bite the dust
• stay
• refrain (from)
• desist (from)
• pack (up or in)
• lay off (of)
• pause
• suspend
• cut out
• break down
• give over
• knock off
• wind down
• abate
• conk (out)
• peter (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continue
• persist
• hang on
• extend
• prolong
• draw out
• protract

4

as in to die

to stop living

a great general, who ended on the field of battle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• die
• fall
• perish
• expire
• depart
• demise
• part
• exit
• succumb
• go
• disappear
• pass (on)
• pass away
• check out
• buy it
• step out
• fade
• kick in
• drop
• kick off
• decease
• pop off
• croak
• snuff it
• peg out
• kick the bucket
• bite the dust
• flatline
• give up the ghost
• conk (out)
• fail
• dry up
• predecease
• consume

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• live
• come to
• breathe
• be
• revive
• exist
• linger
• flourish
• thrive
• subsist
• prosper

end

2 of 2

noun

ˈend 

1

as in ending

the stopping of a process or activity

the end of hostilities brought general rejoicing

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ending
• cessation
• halt
• conclusion
• close
• closure
• finish
• termination
• stop
• stay
• expiration
• cease
• shutdown
• offset
• cutoff
• stoppage
• discontinuance
• discontinuation
• arrest
• shutoff
• lapse
• closedown
• surcease
• pause
• suspension
• check
• arrestment
• interruption
• standstill
• moratorium
• phaseout
• abeyance
• break
• mop-up
• layoff
• letup

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continuation
• continuance
• extension
• persistence
• prolongation

2

as in limit

a real or imaginary point beyond which a person or thing cannot go

I'm at the end of my patience with these little brats

Synonyms & Similar Words

• limit
• limitation
• confines
• line
• boundary
• extent
• termination
• cap
• ceiling
• bound
• barrier
• edge
• terminus
• extremity
• border
• verge
• margin
• fence
• wall
• outside
• rim
• fag end
• stop
• restraint
• hedge
• bar
• brim

3

as in remainder

an unused or unwanted piece or item typically of small size or value

a couple of ends of wallpaper were all that was left after we finished papering the room

Synonyms & Similar Words

• remainder
• scrap
• remnant
• rest
• fag end
• piece
• stub
• leftover
• remains
• leavings
• stump
• pickings
• sliver
• residue
• fragment
• shred
• refuse
• oddment
• vestige
• residual
• odds and ends
• flake
• balance
• scraping(s)
• splinter
• chip
• ribbon(s)
• tatter

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• whole

4

as in goal

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish

in this case the ends definitely do not justify the means

Synonyms & Similar Words

• goal
• purpose
• plan
• aim
• intention
• intent
• idea
• objective
• thing
• object
• dream
• ambition
• point
• meaning
• target
• aspiration
• design
• mark
• ideal
• project
• hope
• bourne
• pretension
• name of the game
• mind
• wish
• scheme
• desire
• plot
• destination
• grail
• holy grail
• terminus
• nirvana

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• means
• way
• method

5

as in tip

the last and usually sharp or tapering part of something long and narrow

a child's pair of scissors with blunt ends

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tip
• apex
• cusp
• nose
• point
• pike
• sticker
• nib
• tine
• pinpoint
• spike
• barb
• prong
• snag
• prickle
• jag

6

as in conclusion

the last part of a process or action

the war wasn't yet over, but we were definitely at the beginning of the end

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ending
• conclusion
• finale
• culmination
• closing
• close
• finish
• climax
• endgame
• consummation
• finis
• homestretch
• grand finale
• windup
• wrap-up
• pinnacle
• capper
• top
• summit
• zenith
• apex
• mop-up
• peak
• crescendo
• meridian
• aftermath
• epilogue
• capstone
• coda
• high-water mark
• acme
• anticlimax
• crown
• tip-top
• postscript
• copestone
• tail end
• coup de grâce
• tag end
• shank

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• beginning
• start
• opening
• dawn
• baseline
• day one
• introduction
• preface
• nascence
• nascency
• prelude
• overture
• preamble
• prologue
• foreword

7

as in perimeter

the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something

the ends of his shirt cuffs were badly frayed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• perimeter
• edge
• circumference
• confines
• edging
• boundary
• border
• verge
• margin
• periphery
• rim
• outskirts
• frame
• skirt
• bound
• fringe
• hem
• brim
• cusp
• skirting
• brink
• borderline
• compass
• extent
• lip
• maximum
• curb
• shore
• termination
• march
• ceiling
• crest
• mere
• limitation
• demarcation
• lap
• restriction
• ambit
• frontier
• measure
• pale
• selvage
• borderland

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• center
• heart
• core
• within
• middle
• interior
• inside
• inner

8

as in demise

the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities

Henry Hudson and eight others were set adrift in the bay in a small boat, and how they met their end is unknown

Synonyms & Similar Words

• demise
• death
• fate
• passing
• doom
• expiration
• dissolution
• exit
• decease
• grave
• sleep
• curtains
• ending
• passage
• expiry
• suicide
• great divide
• destruction
• quietus
• assassination
• fatality
• execution
• martyrdom
• casualty
• annihilation
• extermination
• slaughter
• killing
• self-destruction
• massacre
• ruin
• self-slaughter
• self-murder

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• birth
• life
• existence
• creation
• rise
• nativity
• genesis
• origination

9

as in portion

something belonging to, due to, or contributed by an individual member of a group

keep up your end of the bargain

Synonyms & Similar Words

• portion
• part
• share
• proportion
• percentage
• quota
• allowance
• piece
• allotment
• slice
• cut
• take
• piece of the action
• section
• ration
• segment
• member
• commission
• lot
• partition

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• total
• sum
• compound
• whole
• pool
• aggregate
• totality
• composite

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb end differ from other similar words?

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

ended his life

When might close be a better fit than end?

In some situations, the words close and end are roughly equivalent. However, close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.

close a debate

When could complete be used to replace end?

While the synonyms complete and end are close in meaning, 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

When can conclude be used instead of end?

The synonyms conclude and end are sometimes interchangeable, but conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).

the service concluded with a blessing

In what contexts can finish take the place of end?

While in some cases nearly identical to end, finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.

after it is painted, the house will be finished

When is terminate a more appropriate choice than end?

The meanings of terminate and end largely overlap; however, terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space.

your employment terminates after three months

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of end

Verb

That was kind of how that ended. —Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026

Colbert announced last year that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end its run on CBS’s network in May. —Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 18 Feb. 2026

Noun

By the end of the week, forecasters predict totals as high as 4 inches in coastal and valley areas and up to 8 inches in the mountains and foothills. —Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026

On the high end, cities with populations of 100,000 or more can go up to five miles past their boundaries with their ETJs. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Feb. 2026

Phrases Containing end

• fag end
• go off the deep end
• in the end
• no end
• on end
• rear end
• tail end