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end 1 of 2

verb

Definition of endnext
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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to conclude
to come to an end a book so good that you hate to see it end

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to die
to stop living a great general, who ended on the field of battle

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

end

2 of 2

noun

ˈend How to pronounce end (audio)
1
as in ending
the stopping of a process or activity the end of hostilities brought general rejoicing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

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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

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4
as in goal
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish in this case the ends definitely do not justify the means

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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 end
Verb
Shop the best last-chance deals before the sale ends, starting at just $14. —Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2026 The Royals are one of nine MLB teams that have ended deals with Main Street Sports this week. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
And according to most sportsbooks, as of Wednesday evening, McMillan is the runaway favorite to win the end-of-year award. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2026 Holmberg’s line forechecks hard, holds onto pucks and wins battles along the boards, and is extremely dependable at both ends of the rink. —Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for end
Recent Examples of Synonyms for end
  1. finish
  2. stop
  3. conclude
  4. die
  5. ending
  6. limit
  7. remainder
  8. goal
Verb
  • Reed recently finished his seventh season with the Panthers, resulting in his fewest wins yet with a 4-7 record.
    — Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 8 Jan. 2026
  • The Clippers were up 85-81 late in the third before the Knicks finished strong to take a 90-87 edge to the fourth.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Definition of finish
Verb
  • On third-and-1 with seven seconds left, Schakel took the snap and tried to spike the ball, which would have stopped the clock and given his team one final play to go for the win.
    — Alex Valdes, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Among those who do use an advisor, 26% are considering switching and 18% may stop using an advisor altogether.
    — Robert Frank, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2025
Definition of stop
Verb
  • Women from 130 countries are participating in this year’s edition, which concludes on November 21 with the crowning of the winner.
    — Anabella González, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Williams returned to his alma mater and guided UNC to three NCAA titles (2005, 2009, 2017) and concluded with a career record of 903-264.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
Definition of conclude
Verb
  • The driver of the car that was hit died at the scene, according to police.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Nov. 2025
  • In filing the suit, the city was following the lead of Norma Nazario, who, in 2024, sued TikTok and Meta for the wrongful death of her fifteen-year-old son, Zackery, who died surfing, claiming that algorithms encouraged her son to become addicted to the act.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
Definition of die
Noun
  • Did the 'Christy' ending happen in real life?
    — Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The ending of the film certainly leaves it open to the possibility.
    — Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025
Definition of ending
Noun
  • Samsung designed the sensor to push physical limits while maintaining strong light absorption and signal accuracy.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
  • His administration’s agenda has tugged the law to its limits on several occasions, and is currently undergoing multiple court battles on issues ranging from immigration to tariffs.
    — Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Definition of limit
Noun
  • See list for remainder of 2025, start of 2026 Remaining full moons in 2025 Thursday, Dec. 4: Cold Moon John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect.
    — Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Collection activity had been paused for roughly five years, a remainder of Covid-era policies meant to offer relief to borrowers.
    — Annie Nova, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Definition of remainder
Noun
  • Join Palmer in crushing New Year’s fitness goals with this nifty Pilates set that comes with a ring, mini ball, and four resistance bands.
    — Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Giving love to local venues For McLaughlin and Arthurs, the goal was always to bring the film to venues around the Carolinas as a way to promote those spaces, like The Milestone, that were filled with local music history.
    — Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2026
Definition of goal

Phrases Containing end

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encysts
end
endamage
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Cite this Entry

“End.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/end. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

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