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last

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective last contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of last are final, terminal, and ultimate. While all these words mean "following all others (as in time, order, or importance)," last applies to something that comes at the end of a series but does not always imply that the series is completed or stopped.

last page of a book
last news we had of him

When is it sensible to use final instead of last?

In some situations, the words final and last are roughly equivalent. However, final applies to that which definitely closes a series, process, or progress.

final day of school

When can terminal be used instead of last?

The synonyms terminal and last are sometimes interchangeable, but terminal may indicate a limit of extension, growth, or development.

terminal phase of a disease

When is ultimate a more appropriate choice than last?

While in some cases nearly identical to last, ultimate implies the last degree or stage of a long process beyond which further progress or change is impossible.

the ultimate collapse of the system

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 last
Adjective
The Powerball jackpot was last won May 31, when a California player hit the $204.5 million grand prize. Don Sweeney, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Aug. 2025 Palace are working on possible replacements for Eze, who played the full 90 minutes in last week’s Community Shield match against Liverpool, and have approached Leicester City to explore a potential move for Bilal El Khannouss. David Ornstein, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
Construction will last until 2041, perhaps far longer. Stacy Torres, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025 Again, there are parts of this phase that aren’t going to last forever. R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for last
Recent Examples of Synonyms for last
Adjective
  • Lead remediation has yet to begin on a final group of nine schools.
    Cleo Krejci, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The research team studied birth data from 101 nations in order to reach their final conclusions.
    De Elizabeth, Parents, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • But to date, there is no conclusive evidence that RL endows LLMs with reasoning capabilities that generalize beyond easily verifiable domains like math and coding.
    Rob Toews, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
  • Typically, dermatologists aren’t huge fans of using supplements to boost collagen stores, because there’s no conclusive evidence to show that collagen peptides actually make their way to the skin.
    Hannah Coates, Vogue, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • As a consequence, most oil and gas majors exited New Zealand even before the ban came into place.
    Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Monday was yet another rainy day for most of Wisconsin.
    Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • As extreme heat burns the planet and surviving a waterless Philippines becomes increasingly impossible, Jelson and Ipe try to live, laugh, and love their way through a climate catastrophe rendered in addled digital collage and cartoon hysteria.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Serafini did shoot Spohr dead that day after laying in wait at the couple's $3.5 million home for hours, but Wood managed to survive despite being shot twice in the head at point blank range.
    Chris Spargo, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The love remained even as Alonso tested free agency for the first time last winter.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Kenwood’s program will remain the same, but Western’s will change to a Building Construction Management magnet, which will expose students to different areas of construction trades, such as HVAC, electrical, plumbing and carpentry.
    Racquel Bazos, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The shooting happened the day before the fifth anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting that killed 17 and is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the U.S.
    Joey Cappelletti and Mike Householder, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Feb. 2023
  • The video is the latest in a lengthy stream of controversies the probation department has faced in recent years.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2023
Adjective
  • Weapons took decisive care of its competition for a second week in a row at the box office.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Against the Packers, Fields was decisive after taking what the defense gave him, completing 3-of-4 passes and rushing for a touchdown.
    Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In those moments, cooler heads don’t always prevail.
    JoAnn Yamani, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Mao Zedong, before his own revolution prevailed, described China as dry tinder awaiting a spark.
    Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Last.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/last. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.

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