1
as in ends
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
we usually leave off working as soon as the bell rings
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stops
to come to an end
the snow should leave off around midnight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leaves off
The rear is the most interesting angle, with a bumper design that picks up where the front leaves off and no attempt at a fake diffuser.
—
Joel Feder, The Drive, 4 Mar. 2026
Pruning Practices All tomato plants benefit from pruning to keep the leaves off the ground, eliminate sucker shoots to increase energy for fruit production, and to open the plant for good air circulation.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
This is the atheism of Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger and their existentialist descendants, which begins in precisely the place where scientific materialism leaves off, with the will of the subjective, conscious agent.
—Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
This twist on a French manicure leaves off only the lunula of the nail to the imagination.
—Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Rain is coming, penciled in for an hour or two from now, and a harsh British wind is flinging leaves off branches and cloaking the countryside with something that smells dungy and damp.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
Defenders fall to the ground like leaves off a tree when Lemon sprints to open spaces.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
Any list of top-5 Nuggets that leaves off Melo is suspect.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025
The book leaves off on a more ambiguous note, as Eleanor explains that she and Jamie weren't meant to be together.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Joel Feder, The Drive, 4 Mar. 2026
Pruning Practices All tomato plants benefit from pruning to keep the leaves off the ground, eliminate sucker shoots to increase energy for fruit production, and to open the plant for good air circulation.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
This is the atheism of Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger and their existentialist descendants, which begins in precisely the place where scientific materialism leaves off, with the will of the subjective, conscious agent.
—Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
This twist on a French manicure leaves off only the lunula of the nail to the imagination.
—Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Rain is coming, penciled in for an hour or two from now, and a harsh British wind is flinging leaves off branches and cloaking the countryside with something that smells dungy and damp.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
Defenders fall to the ground like leaves off a tree when Lemon sprints to open spaces.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
Any list of top-5 Nuggets that leaves off Melo is suspect.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025
The book leaves off on a more ambiguous note, as Eleanor explains that she and Jamie weren't meant to be together.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaves off
Verb
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The move will allow TSA employees to get their paychecks as early as March 30 instead of waiting for back pay after the shutdown ends.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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Loose ends and compelling payoffs await after a subdued and slow-ish first frame that struggles with a balance between dark brooding and uneven lull.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Much of physicists’ intuition stops being helpful in an expanding universe.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
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The run hits major arenas including Chase Center in San Francisco, United Center in Chicago, TD Garden in Boston and stops across Canada, before closing out at the band’s home turf.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a different scenario, assigned a probability of 60%, the conflict ceases at the end of this month and oil prices fall quickly.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
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When reputation replaces repentance, the church ceases to reflect Christ’s character.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Mavericks plan to move into a new arena when their lease with the American Airlines Center expires in 2031.—
Eric Prisbell,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Wilson's term representing Ward 2 in the city expires in January 2027.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Global oil prices have spiked as Iran halts traffic through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.—
Raf Sanchez,
NBC news,
19 Mar. 2026
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Debt consolidation does not carry a legal mechanism that immediately halts wage garnishment the way bankruptcy does, at least not in most forms.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As the University of Bath team concludes, embedding living components into concrete could allow infrastructure to heal itself from within, extending service life and mitigating climate impact.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
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Compiled by the Associated Press That concludes today’s newsletter.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That’s a refreshingly honest reason for calling it quits, and an understandable one.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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Governing body head quits Yet this year’s festival comes at a time of crisis in British racing.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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State officials compared the project to Boise’s Flying Wye, where the I-184 Connector breaks off from I-84 west of downtown Boise.—
Hali Smith,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Mar. 2026
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Mahama breaks off in exasperation.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leaves off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaves%20off. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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