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
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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
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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
-
Following her departure from the New York Times in 2020, Weiss sought out a market for her television skills without success.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Bain added that separation anxiety can be eased or prevented by gradually teaching canines to feel safe when alone, using enrichment such as toys or food puzzles, playing calming background noise, and keeping departures low-key.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Last Rites covers the last seven or so years of Ozzy’s life, including his growing number of health issues and his fight to get back on stage one last time at the Back to the Beginning farewell concert with Black Sabbath.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
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Details about the group’s 2026 farewell tour are TBA.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leave-taking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave-taking. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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