ends 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of end
1
as in concludes
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 stops
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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3
as in expires
to come to an end a book so good that you hate to see it end

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4
as in dies
to stop living a great general, who ended on the field of battle

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ends

2 of 2

noun

plural of end
1
as in endings
the stopping of a process or activity the end of hostilities brought general rejoicing

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2
as in limits
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 remainders
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 purposes
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 tips
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 closes
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 edges
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 fates
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 portions
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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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 ends
Verb
When the school day ends, the campus keeps serving families through aftercare, summer camp and school-break programs. — Tim Lonergan, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026 Daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday in November, according to Time and Date, an online world clock. — Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026 Tight ends There really isn’t much of note with tight ends this week, outside of aiming to predict the good Brenton Strange games. — Jake Ciely, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026 The New York City Board of Elections reports more than 294,000 people have already voted in the first four days of Early Voting, which ends on Sunday. — Dick Brennan, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 Gonzalez, 56, is running in the November special election to retain the seat and serve the remainder of the term, which ends next year. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026 Now Democrats hope Obama’s star power can build on those gains, particularly among Black voters and younger Georgians before the three-week early voting period ends Friday. — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 28 Oct. 2026 The decision, for now, ends Grab’s first attempt to expand outside Southeast Asia. — Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 The development ends the abolition of the death penalty, which had been in effect since 2018 under the previous and democratically elected president, Roch Marc Christian Kabore. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
Naz Reid struck fire midway through the fourth, executing, in quick succession, plays on both ends of the court. — Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2026 The bloody slayings unfolded about three miles apart, near the southern and northern ends of University Ave. — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026 Today’s Theme At 60-Across, we’re asked for a term that describes something [Like an untrustworthy business] — which, the revealer clue suggests, doubles as [a hint to the ends of 17-, 29-, 39- and 47-Across]. — Sam Corbin, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026 The opening on the opposite side of the dish room is not finished and has metal wall studs and sheet rock ends exposed. — Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026 Frank Darling, another buzzy online engagement ring retailer, takes advantage of something called a bypass shank in the above ring, which implies that the ends of the band curve past the center stone versus generating a straight, uniform loop. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026 But defining where harmless fun ends and harmful manipulation begins is far from straightforward. — Chloe Veltman, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026 Her work at both ends of the court — including dropping a shocking 30 points in Game 2 against the league’s best defense — has led the Dream to a dominant start in the series. — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ends
  1. concludes
  2. stops
  3. expires
  4. dies
  5. endings
  6. limits
  7. remainders
  8. purposes
Verb
  • The Fed’s latest policy meeting concludes less than a week before the midterm elections, which have focused heavily on concerns about the cost of living and affordability.
    — Christopher Rugaber, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Diiv will meet the world in 2027 with a massive tour, which kicks off in Sydney in February and concludes with a hometown London show in June.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of concludes
Verb
  • The New Braunfels, Texas, resident kept a frenetic touring schedule, headlining major Texas venues and mid-sized dance halls around the country, with occasional arena or amphitheater stops opening for Koe Wetzel thrown in.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Nighttime mouth breathing is associated with snoring, dry mouth, receding gums and sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing stops repeatedly during sleep.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of stops
Verb
  • So Skydance is hardly in position to spend $20 million to $30 million a year on Aikman or compete with ESPN to land Olsen, whose Fox contract expires after the season.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The timeline calls for the Royals to move to the new stadium a year before the team’s lease at Kauffman Stadium expires.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of expires
Verb
  • One of them loses a large amount of her hair at the root — and dies shortly after.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026
  • This inertia can come in handy if the engine dies, because the rotor will continue to spin and allow the pilot to descend under control, in an emergency technique known as autorotation.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of dies
Noun
  • 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
Definition of endings
Noun
  • Some enterprise merchants, such as Walmart, are even creating their own systems for agentic commerce, including authorizing third-party agents, setting spending limits, and ensuring agents can browse for and purchase products reliably.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026
  • But a political action committee that advocates for limits on campaign funding argues that Marshall has used his official staff and resources to run his campaign for years.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of limits
Noun
  • Perhaps even a rag-tag group of remainders can put a scare into San Antonio.
    — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026
  • The best-case scenario would be for the Lakers’ remainders to extend the best-of-seven series with the Rockets long enough for Doncic and Reaves to rejoin LeBron James in that Big Three, either at the end of this series or the start of the next one.
    — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
Definition of remainders
Noun
  • The benefit of being an official NFL partner is more for marketing purposes instead of anything that actually impacts lines.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Well, myself and the people in my office, but yes, for all intents and purposes, it has not been seen by anyone.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of purposes

Phrases Containing ends

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end-runs
ends
end-time
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Cite this Entry

“Ends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ends. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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