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
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
-
Her departure only adds to the rebuilding job head coach Mark Campbell will need to do this off-season as TCU must replace Big 12 Player of the Year Olivia Miles and first team All-Big 12 forward Marta Suarez along with starting wing Taylor Bigby.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Wheeler-Thomas will battle to fill the void after the departure of Dylan Andrews, who played one season for the Broncos after transferring from UCLA.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
End with a low-key farewell dinner in 12South and live music at Station Inn — generally a cash-only cover charge and no frills, just great music.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
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End your trip with a low-key farewell dinner in 12South, then close out the night with live music at Station Inn — generally a cash-only cover charge and no frills, just great music.—
Lauren Schuster,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leave-taking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave-taking. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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