1
as in finales
the last part of a process or action
the plagiarism scandal was a disgraceful ending to a once-promising academic career
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cessations
the stopping of a process or activity
the best part about any dental procedure is its ending
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of endings
Parents are choosing names with softer sounds and vowel endings such as Alonso, Ilyas, Amos, and Lennon for boys, and Rhea, Rosalina, Aura, Ines, and Zeina for girls.
—
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 June 2026
The end of Dexter is so widely hated that it’s considered by many to be among the worst TV show endings ever.
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026
As far as endings go, Delgado Lopera doesn’t really like the happy ones.
—Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
What starts as a challenge soon turns into a witty, emotional enemies-to-lovers story that forces both writers to rethink their beliefs about love, happiness and happy endings.
—Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
Prince also excelled at crafting perfect song endings, and this is undoubtedly one of his best.
—Ahmir “questlove” Thompson, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026
And some stories don’t have happy endings.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 3 June 2026
In an episode filled with tragic endings for various characters, including Rue herself, Faye sees some kind of hope on the horizon.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
So no, Deborah was never going to die, and there were never any alternate endings beyond what wound up on screen.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 29 May 2026
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 June 2026
The end of Dexter is so widely hated that it’s considered by many to be among the worst TV show endings ever.
—Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026
As far as endings go, Delgado Lopera doesn’t really like the happy ones.
—Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
What starts as a challenge soon turns into a witty, emotional enemies-to-lovers story that forces both writers to rethink their beliefs about love, happiness and happy endings.
—Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
Prince also excelled at crafting perfect song endings, and this is undoubtedly one of his best.
—Ahmir “questlove” Thompson, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026
And some stories don’t have happy endings.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 3 June 2026
In an episode filled with tragic endings for various characters, including Rue herself, Faye sees some kind of hope on the horizon.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
So no, Deborah was never going to die, and there were never any alternate endings beyond what wound up on screen.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for endings
Noun
-
Kansas City is 2-4 in rubber games and 6-14 in series finales.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
Colbert’s goodbye — running some 17 minutes over — was ambitious in a way that other TV late night finales were not.—
Mark Kennedy,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Temporary cessations of hostility, but no permanent closing of the moral and social divide between debtor and creditor, and no giving up on the thought that some lives matter more than others.—
Henry Freedland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
At the same time, progressive and labor groups that often find themselves at odds with the Chamber are avoiding jumping to conclusions, saying the move speaks more to the group’s quest for relevance than Becerra’s politics.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
-
This year’s ballot came to some eyebrow-raising conclusions.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
The 6-6 playmaker displayed his versatility on both ends, knocking down shots, creating for teammates and making an impact defensively against top competition from around the world.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
-
But Karaban is known as a winning basketball player who can contribute on both ends of the court, and is likely more ready to contribute productive minutes in the NBA than the younger prospects in the Heat’s range.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Full moons are culminations — don’t forget to pause and see what’s already come full circle before rushing into more.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
28 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Since prolonged production halts can cause permanent damage to oil wells, shutting them down is typically a last resort.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
-
In practice the printer ran for about 3 months (including setup and halts), whereas a traditional cast bridge might have taken 3–4 times longer.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
In addition to the Oklahoma closings, restaurants in cities including Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Wichita Falls, Texas, were reported closing by the USA TODAY Network.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
Action on closing or consolidating schools has been coming slowly, The enrollment problems cost a lot of money, but closings are controversial and sensitive.—
Alan J. Borsuk,
jsonline.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
But questions still remain about how contemporary works will fare in a market that has also seen a number of gallery closures.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
16 June 2026
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In some Asian and African countries that rely more on oil from the Middle East, the supply shock led to school and government office closures and instructions to work from home, according to the International Energy Agency.—
Mae Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Endings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/endings. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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