endings

noun

plural of ending
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

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 endings The main reason the Giants have a chance to win every week, though, despite all their injuries and heart-stopping endings, is that Jameis Winston is playing well as their starting quarterback. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026 Dramatic — and sometimes controversial — endings were the story of a wild college football Saturday, with late-game calls deciding some outcomes and potentially having an effect on how the College Football Playoff shapes up a couple months from now. — Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 Beginnings can feel energetic and chipper and game, kind of, but endings are fireflies in the dark. — Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026 Instead, as far as endings for superhero stories go, Episode 8 has a lot of chatter. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026 All That Jazz is one of my favorite endings to a movie of all time. — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026 Clue hit theaters in 1985 with three distinct endings but didn’t find success until it was released on VHS with all three endings spliced together. — Air Mail, 19 Sep. 2026 This joins the list of the sport’s most controversial endings ever, including other clock mishaps. — Jason Kirk, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 For those who haven’t seen the only good movie based on a board game (sorry, Battleship), Clue has multiple endings in order to simulate the repeatability of the game. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for endings
  1. finales
  2. cessations
  3. conclusions
  4. ends
  5. culminations
  6. halts
  7. closings
  8. closures
Noun
  • This piece contains spoilers for the finales of Lanterns and East of Eden.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The show can also boast one of the more memorable series finales in TV history.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of finales
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
Definition of cessations
Noun
  • Much of its work, particularly on national security matters, remains shielded from public view, but some of the office’s conclusions have emerged in often dense legal opinions.
    — Perry Stein, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Given the inherent volatility and randomness of postseason baseball, trying to draw permanent or predictive conclusions from small sample size outcomes is ultimately pointless.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of conclusions
Noun
  • In conference rooms and attempts at collective action alike, these two opposite ends of the supply chain often have different agendas and different ideas of success, and many speak different languages — literally and figuratively.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The rapper’s hair was teased and texturized around her face and curled at the ends.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of ends
Noun
  • Lunar eclipses, on the other hand, tend to coincide with powerful culminations, emotional revelations and the release of something that’s reached its natural conclusion.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of culminations
Noun
  • That was March 2020, when the CEOs of General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler tried to coordinate production halts over Covid-19 fears, only to be warned by their lawyers that doing so could violate antitrust rules.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The automatic stay halts proceedings but doesn't compel creditors to undo pre-petition filings without operative effect.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Definition of halts
Noun
  • But delays in natural gas closings could dwarf the renewable progress Pritzker says has been made.
    — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Year-to-date, closings trail 2025 by 5%, and that gap keeps widening.
    — Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of closings
Noun
  • Certain streets and neighborhoods may be affected by demonstrations, police operations, or temporary closures, but the disruption is not necessarily city-wide.
    — Alessia Armenise, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026
  • It’s known for its durable fabric, roomy pockets, sturdy closures and often a contrasting collar.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of closures

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ending
endings
endless
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Cite this Entry

“Endings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/endings. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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