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
The five-episode limited series takes viewers on an emotional journey, opening with a shocking first scene which is also how the series ends. — Reshma Gopaldas, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2026 But even after the uneven Multiverse Saga ends (hopefully on a high note), Marvel Studios won’t be stopping. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026 Her victory ends Patrick's 12-year tenure in the position and breaks the Republican Party's decades-long control of one of the most powerful offices in Texas government. — Digital Producer, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026 Apply it to mid-lengths and ends, leave it on for two to three minutes, detangle, and rinse. — Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026 The operator tries to get more information but the call ends. — Martha Bellisle, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026 Farrant will lose her place on the board when her current term ends next month. — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026 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
Noun
All spiders lack telomere repeats which are the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. — Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026 The Illinois comptroller is the only statewide office without an incumbent running, and two candidates from opposite ends of the state are vying to fill the spot. — Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026 To Bamgboye’s credit, he’s taken to coach extremely well according to Dixon and has already made big strides on both ends since arriving on campus. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026 Brief tornadoes may also develop along the northern ends of bowing segments within the line. — CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026 Valenti and Lovley, longtime developers who grew up and live in central Connecticut, aren’t interested in supervising construction or managing properties at the far ends of the state. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026 Its three-step Bond Forcing System starts with a pre-color serum consisting of vitamin B6 and hydrolyzed collagen to condition dry ends and prep the strands for color. — Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 1 Nov. 2026 Naz Reid struck fire midway through the fourth, executing, in quick succession, plays on both ends of the court. — Charlotte Observer, 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ends
  1. concludes
  2. stops
  3. expires
  4. dies
  5. endings
  6. limits
  7. remainders
  8. purposes
Verb
  • The report concludes that the future of denim finishing will not be defined by individual technologies alone but by the ability to manage complex processes in a more controlled, transparent, and continuously improvable manner.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Awaiting Artemis The gallery concludes with a space reserved to exhibit the Artemis I capsule, the spacecraft that flew without astronauts to the Moon in 2022.
    — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of concludes
Verb
  • At some point, optimism stops feeling like hope and starts feeling like obligation.
    — Stephan Pechdimaldji, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Morgan refuses Ancker’s offer outright and stops just short of spitting in the man’s face.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of stops
Verb
  • Valzonis will serve the remainder of Pittman’s term, which expires in November 2028.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2026
  • If voters decide against retaining a judge, the position will become vacant once the judge’s current term expires.
    — The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of expires
Verb
  • But beneath the pop-culture surface, this is also a story of families, about all the chatter and the cacophonous who-knows-what that goes on when a parent dies in unusual circumstances.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Her father, Steve Apa, told the New York Times that the cause was rhabdomyolysis, also known as rhabdo, a rare condition in which skeletal muscle breaks down and dies quickly, poisoning the body.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 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 measure would require new local tax increases or extensions that are used for specific purposes to receive a two-thirds vote to pass.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The septet is also planning on working on new material for full-band endeavors as well as individual purposes.
    — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 3 Nov. 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 6 Nov. 2026.

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