1
as in departure
the act of leaving a place
the leave-taking of the guest of honor was scheduled for 11 o'clock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in farewell
the act or process of two or more persons going off in different directions
the sweethearts' leave-taking was filled with tearful pauses and promises to meet again
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 leave-taking
How can a child understand this kind of leave-taking?
—
Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 26 Jan. 2024
With Nitti’s leave-taking, McEntire sent home Noah Spencer and Ms. Monet, with Ruby Leigh, Jordan Ranier and Jacquie Roar moving on to the live shows.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 28 Nov. 2023
Forest fires were lowering human birth weights, zoo chimpanzees in Kyoto enjoy virtual forests, and the chimpanzees of the Bossou community are formal in their greetings but unceremonious in their leave-taking.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Feb. 2022
Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 26 Jan. 2024
With Nitti’s leave-taking, McEntire sent home Noah Spencer and Ms. Monet, with Ruby Leigh, Jordan Ranier and Jacquie Roar moving on to the live shows.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 28 Nov. 2023
Forest fires were lowering human birth weights, zoo chimpanzees in Kyoto enjoy virtual forests, and the chimpanzees of the Bossou community are formal in their greetings but unceremonious in their leave-taking.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave-taking
Noun
-
Since Levy’s departure, the Lewis family have faced questions about their intentions for the club.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
On Her Hiatus Speaking to her fans on a live stream, Kai was candid about her feelings since her WWE departure.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Her previous Instagram post was a photo taken with Andrew Watt and Slash at Black Sabbath’s farewell concert in early July.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Legends such as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Dalilah Muhammad will embark on their final farewell, while budding talent like Masai Russell and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden will continue to build their legacy.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leave-taking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave-taking. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share