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
The study of leave-taking was assumed to be more complicated than the study of greetings.
—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026
Read More: 8 Polite Ways to Decline a Party Invitation
The second part of leave-taking is expressing your gratitude to the host, which calls for another straightforward and succinct two words.
—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
8 Dec. 2025
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
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026
Read More: 8 Polite Ways to Decline a Party Invitation
The second part of leave-taking is expressing your gratitude to the host, which calls for another straightforward and succinct two words.
—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
8 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave-taking
Noun
-
The trade comes after years of uncertainty surrounding Milwaukee's direction following the departure of championship-winning head coach Mike Budenholzer in 2023 and caps a steady decline that culminated in the Bucks missing the 2026 playoffs.
-
The pound eased against major currencies as speculation mounted that Starmer was going to set out a timetable for his departure.
Noun
-
Unlike some rivals, the arena has remained relatively popular; the Foo Fighters played there less than two months ago and Journey’s farewell tour was there for a show in late May.
-
To bid farewell to those two fees, however, customers will have to sign up for the free customer-rewards program Verizon also announced.
Cite this Entry
“Leave-taking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave-taking. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
