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end

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of end

1 the stopping of a process or activity
  • got a drink at the end of practice
Synonyms of end

arrest, arrestment, cease, cessation, check, close, closedown, closure, conclusion, cutoff, discontinuance, discontinuation, ending, expiration, finish, halt, lapse, offset, shutdown, shutoff, stay, stop, stoppage, surcease, termination
Words Related to end

mop-up, phaseout

abeyance, break, interruption, layoff, letup, moratorium, pause, standstill, suspension
Near Antonyms of end

extension, persistence, prolongation
Antonyms of end

continuance, continuation
2 a real or imaginary point beyond which a person or thing cannot go
  • I'm at the end of my patience.
Synonyms of end

bound, boundary, cap, ceiling, confines, extent, limit, limitation, line, termination
Words Related to end

extremity, fag end, terminus

border, brim, edge, margin, rim, verge

outside

bar, barrier, fence, hedge, restraint, stop, wall
3 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 of end

leftover, oddment, remainder, remnant, scrap, stub
Words Related to end

leavings, odds and ends, pickings, refuse, remains, residual, residue, scraping(s), stump, vestige

balance, rest

chip, flake, fragment, piece, sliver, splinter

ribbon(s), shred, tatter
Near Antonyms of end

whole
4 something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
  • In this case the ends definitely do not justify the means.
Synonyms of end

aim, ambition, aspiration, design, dream, goal, idea, ideal, intent, intention, mark, meaning, object, objective, plan, point, pretension, purpose, target, thing
Words Related to end

grail, holy grail

plot, project, scheme

desire, hope, mind, wish

nirvana

destination, terminus
Phrases Synonymous with end

name of the game
Near Antonyms of end

means, method, way
5 the last and usually sharp or tapering part of something long and narrow
  • a child's pair of scissors with blunt ends
Synonyms of end

apex, cusp, nib, nose, pike, point, tip
Words Related to end

pinpoint

prong, tine

barb, jag, prickle, snag, spike, sticker
6 the last part of a process or action
  • The project wasn't yet over, but we were definitely at the beginning of the end.
Synonyms of end

capper, close, closing, conclusion, consummation, endgame, ending, finale, finis, finish, grand finale, home stretch, mop-up, windup, wrap-up
Words Related to end

acme, apex, capstone, climax, copestone, coup de grâce (or coup de grace), crescendo, crown, culmination, high-water mark, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, tip-top, top, zenith

aftermath, anticlimax, coda, epilogue (also epilog), postscript

shank, tag end, tail end
Near Antonyms of end

foreword, introduction, overture, preamble, preface, prelude, prologue (also prolog)
Antonyms of end

baseline, beginning, dawn, day one, nascence, nascency, opening, start
7 the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something
  • The ends of his shirt cuffs were badly frayed.
Synonyms of end

border, borderline, bound, boundary, brim, circumference, compass, confines, edge, edging, frame, fringe, hem, margin, perimeter, periphery, rim, skirt, skirting, verge
Words Related to end

ambit

brink, crest, curb, cusp, lip

ceiling, maximum

demarcation, extent, limitation, measure, mere, restriction, termination

borderland, frontier, march, outskirts, pale, selvage

lap

shore
Near Antonyms of end

center, core, heart

inner, inside, interior, middle, within
8 the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities
  • How the explorers met their end is unknown.
Synonyms of end

curtains, death, decease, demise, dissolution, doom, exit, expiration, fate, grave, great divide, passage, passing, quietus, sleep
Words Related to end

casualty, fatality

martyrdom, self-destruction, self-murder, self-slaughter, suicide

annihilation, destruction, ending, extermination, ruin

assassination, execution, killing, massacre, slaughter
Near Antonyms of end

existence, life

creation, genesis, origination, rise
Antonyms of end

birth, nativity
9 something belonging to, due to, or contributed by an individual member of a group
  • Keep up your end of the bargain.
Synonyms of end

allotment, allowance, cut, part, piece, portion, proportion, quota, share, slice, take
Words Related to end

lot, ration

commission, percentage

member, partition, section, segment
Near Antonyms of end

aggregate, composite, compound, pool, sum, total, totality

whole

Synonym Discussion of end

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal mean what one intends to accomplish or attain. intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about.
    • announced his intention to marry
intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness.
    • the clear intent of the statute
purpose suggests a more settled determination.
    • being successful was her purpose in life
design implies a more carefully calculated plan.
    • the order of events came by accident, not design
aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing.
    • her aim was to raise film to an art form
end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such.
    • willing to use any means to achieve his end
object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need.
    • his constant object was the achievement of pleasure
objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable.
    • their objective is to seize the oil fields
goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship.
    • worked years to reach her goals

end

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of end

1 to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point
  • Let's end the meeting in half an hour.
Synonyms of end

close, close out, complete, conclude, finish, round (off or out), terminate, wind up, wrap up
Words Related to end

climax, crown

consummate, perfect

halt, stop, suspend
Phrases Synonymous with end

ring down the curtain (on)
Antonyms of end

begin, commence, inaugurate, open, start
2 to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
  • Her speech ended the ceremony.
Synonyms of end

break, break off, break up, can [slang], cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, give over, halt, knock off, lay off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut off, stop
Words Related to end

complete, conclude, finish

close (down)

deactivate

block, blockade, dam, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem

call, suspend

arrest, brake, check, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch (or staunch), stunt, suppress, turn back

pause, stay, suspend
Phrases Synonymous with end

have done with, put the kibosh on
Near Antonyms of end

carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep up, run on

advance, proceed, progress
3 to come to an end
  • a book so good that you hate to see it end
Synonyms of end

break off, break up, cease, close, conclude, dead-end, determine, die, discontinue, elapse, expire, finish, go, halt, lapse, leave off, let up, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up, wink (out)
Words Related to end

desist (from), lay off (of), refrain (from)

knock off, pack (up or in)

break down, conk (out), cut out, stall

pause, stay, suspend

abate, peter (out), wind down
Phrases Synonymous with end

bite the dust
Near Antonyms of end

draw out, extend, prolong, protract
Antonyms of end

continue, hang on, persist
4 to stop living
  • a great general, who ended on the field of battle
Synonyms of end

check out, conk (out), croak [slang], demise, depart, die, drop, exit, expire, fall, go, part, pass (on), pass away, perish, succumb
Words Related to end

predecease

consume, disappear, dry up, fade, fail
Phrases Synonymous with end

bite the dust, buy it (or buy the farm), give up the ghost, kick the bucket
Near Antonyms of end

come to, revive

linger

be, exist, subsist

flourish, prosper, thrive
Antonyms of end

breathe, live

Synonym Discussion of end

close, end, conclude, finish, complete, terminate mean to bring or come to a stopping point or limit. close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.
    • close a debate
end conveys a strong sense of finality.
    • ended his life
conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).
    • the service concluded with a blessing
finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.
    • after it is painted, the house will be finished
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
terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space.
    • your employment terminates after three months

Learn More about end

  1. See words that rhyme with end Dictionary: Definition of end Spanish Central: Translation of end Nglish: Translation of end for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of end for Arabic speakers

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