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
Experts, including Higel, are doubtful that the Iraqi government will be able to disarm the Iran-loyal groups even if war between Iran and the US ends. — Sarah Tamimi, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026 As for what’s going on with the cryptic buying up of team shares, that remains an ongoing mystery for much of the episode — one that ends without Higgins and Rebecca finding out who’s really behind the shenanigans. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026 When September ends Wednesday marks the last day of September and the third quarter. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026 The judge’s action ends a lawsuit brought by California Atty. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 Russia might also strike NATO territory, including before the current war ends. — Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026 One person on your team owns the relationship, one person at theirs owns it and no meeting ends without a specific next action and a date. — Omer Qureshi, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026 Dive will follow an elite team of police divers and investigators who solve crimes that begin where the surface ends. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026 The four romances are bittersweet, about love that is marked by melancholy, ends too soon, or never got a chance to begin. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
The ends flitted out and folded centimeters above her brows, blending between the relaxed waves that moved over her shoulders. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026 The increase comes when gas prices typically begin to decline as summer driving season ends and refineries switch to cheaper winter-blend gasoline. — Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026 Edge players/defensive ends Chop Robinson played 37 snaps, Joshua Uche 36, Malik Herring 19 and Clelin Ferrell 8. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026 This effortless style is finished with blunt ends that add texture to this modern spin. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026 The shiny, inky black strands were parted in the middle and curled under at the ends to really show off the layers, with the front portion perfectly cupping her jawline to frame her face. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Sep. 2026 To pull off this look, regardless of the cut, straighten the roots perfectly and, from midlengths to ends, go for unstructured waves or a tousled effect. — María Diez, Glamour, 26 Sep. 2026 The product is applied to dry lengths and ends and works diligently to tame flyaways once you’re done drying. — Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026 Team Neagley emerges victorious, and the bad guys meet appropriately satisfying ends. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 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 resilience must become a core strategic priority rather than a reactive response to crises.
    — Mitch New, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Once leadership concludes that the shift is structural, operational changes become more critical than budget cuts.
    — Erik Clarke, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of concludes
Verb
  • The Cowboys get the benefit of a Zay Flowers drop on third down that stops the red-hot Ravens offense in the red zone.
    — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2026
  • When Bender considers moving to a rival network, Wever fleshes out the tough carapace of a woman who, even under the thorniest of circumstances, never stops calculating her next move.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of stops
Verb
  • Among other concerns, Booker noted that the consent decree expires after only five years, leaving no protections whatsoever in year six.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
  • But questions remain about what caliber of releases the industry can expect — and what happens after the five-year agreement expires.
    — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of expires
Verb
  • The job is largely a ceremonial post, but if the sitting governor dies, resigns or is removed from office, then the lieutenant governor would be elevated to take over.
    — Jon Regardie, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • When Latif’s wife dies, he’s immediately forced to tamp down on the instincts that have provided for his family and wade unsteady into a world of bottles, transport, and dinner time.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of dies
Noun
  • No spoilers here, but happy endings abound for all, including Olive and Anh and their best friend-ship.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026
  • All That Jazz is one of my favorite endings to a movie of all time.
    — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of endings
Noun
  • Both campaigns are also getting crucial assists in targeting Latino voters from independent expenditure groups, which aren’t bound by the same contribution limits as campaigns are.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The European Union’s second-largest economy has repeatedly broken the bloc’s rules on budget deficits and debt limits.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 2 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
  • Among his tremendous body of work, Wright designed residences more than any other building type, and though some have been converted into house museums or used for other purposes, the vast majority remain private homes.
    — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Subscription rights, usage charges, licensing and referral arrangements serve different purposes.
    — Rishi Katdare, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 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 4 Oct. 2026.

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