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
-
Travelers who are planning to fly over the next week are encouraged to check the flight status before leaving home, arrive early for longer than usual security lines, and consider backup options before the departure day.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Her departure adds to a growing list of Democrats, including former House speaker Nancy Pelosi who plan to retire after this term.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The capstone is the Final Frontier farewell tour, which kicks off in February in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and wraps up at some point the following year.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
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Duncan and Geiger, in their farewell post, noted readers looked to the almanac for advice on such things as the best days to potty train or wean a baby, or the best time to go fishing.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leave-taking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave-taking. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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