as in departing
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as in retirement
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in abandoning
to cause to remain behind
you can leave your lunch in the refrigerator while we're outside starry-eyed lovers who promise never to leave one another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bequeathing
to give by means of a will
I'm going to leave all of my possessions to my children
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in quitting
to give up (a job or office)
he left his job in the city and moved out into the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in handing
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another
why don't you leave your watch with me while you swim?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in dumping
to end a usually intimate relationship with
is there ever a good way to leave a lover?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in letting
to give permission to
aw, leave him come
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leaving
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 12 May 2026
The Hauler has no cab (essentially a self-driving platform) and is designed for 40-foot and 53-foot shipping containers and runs dock-to-dock—unloading at the destination rather than dropping a trailer and leaving.
—Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
In post-pandemic Shanghai, two women — one leaving, one staying — share a single electric night wandering the city.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Mascherano is not the only one leaving.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Mays then drove up to the man, got out of his car and shot him before getting back inside the vehicle and leaving, according to the report.
—David Goodhue
april 13, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
With Peterson, Council and White leaving, the Jayhawks will lose three starters who combined to average 47 points per game.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
Additional markets, lighting and winter programming across nearby streets could encourage visitors to explore multiple blocks rather than visiting one location and leaving.
—Liam Stanton, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
The drone captured two sets of ski tracks entering the avalanche area, but only one leaving, officials said.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2026
Via Riverhead, Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
Body oils, dead skin, dirt, soap scum, mineral deposits, hard water stains, and mold can stick to the walls, door, grout, and floor, leaving a grimy film.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
Voicemails for Isabelle centers on Jill (Deutch), whose grief process following the loss of her titular sister (Bravo) involves leaving heartfelt and vulnerable voicemails on Isabelle’s old number.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026
The 35-year-old Rancho Cordova mother was taken by a suspect, leaving behind her 11-month-old daughter in a high chair, where she was later found crying and alone.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
Video shows many graduates leaving the ceremony after the brawl began.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Rumors are swirling that Pep Guardiola could be leaving Manchester City.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 19 May 2026
Gomez came close to leaving two years ago when a fee of £45m was agreed with Newcastle United.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Three years after leaving, Fulmer broke his silence on the infidelity scandal that torpedoed his career in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Noun
Sandro Tonali has been heavily linked with a move and there is a decent possibility of the Italian leaving, but only if a club can meet the significant overall cost required, which very few can.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 12 May 2026
The Hauler has no cab (essentially a self-driving platform) and is designed for 40-foot and 53-foot shipping containers and runs dock-to-dock—unloading at the destination rather than dropping a trailer and leaving.
—Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
In post-pandemic Shanghai, two women — one leaving, one staying — share a single electric night wandering the city.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Mascherano is not the only one leaving.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Mays then drove up to the man, got out of his car and shot him before getting back inside the vehicle and leaving, according to the report.
—David Goodhue
april 13, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
With Peterson, Council and White leaving, the Jayhawks will lose three starters who combined to average 47 points per game.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
Additional markets, lighting and winter programming across nearby streets could encourage visitors to explore multiple blocks rather than visiting one location and leaving.
—Liam Stanton, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
The drone captured two sets of ski tracks entering the avalanche area, but only one leaving, officials said.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
Soon after leaving school, the organization Fighting Words changed that for me.
—Via Riverhead, Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
Body oils, dead skin, dirt, soap scum, mineral deposits, hard water stains, and mold can stick to the walls, door, grout, and floor, leaving a grimy film.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
Voicemails for Isabelle centers on Jill (Deutch), whose grief process following the loss of her titular sister (Bravo) involves leaving heartfelt and vulnerable voicemails on Isabelle’s old number.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026
The 35-year-old Rancho Cordova mother was taken by a suspect, leaving behind her 11-month-old daughter in a high chair, where she was later found crying and alone.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
Video shows many graduates leaving the ceremony after the brawl began.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Rumors are swirling that Pep Guardiola could be leaving Manchester City.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 19 May 2026
Gomez came close to leaving two years ago when a fee of £45m was agreed with Newcastle United.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Three years after leaving, Fulmer broke his silence on the infidelity scandal that torpedoed his career in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaving
Noun
-
The Aztecs are hoping to upgrade the center position with both Heide and Compton departing.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
This evocative tale explores the uncertainty of leaving home, even if departing means rejoining a cherished relationship.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Musk is currently embroiled in a court battle against OpenAI, accusing CEO Sam Altman and Greg Brockman of abandoning the company’s original nonprofit creed of developing open-source AI to benefit humans by turning it into a for-profit entity.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
The report comes as Netflix, which is the largest subscription streaming platform in the world by far, is charting a path forward on its own after abandoning its pursuit of Warner Bros.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The Cubs bequeathing the dubious distinction of the sport’s longest title drought to Cleveland.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Effectively, Newsom’s slow roll protects him from taking any meaningful actions, thus bequeathing reparations to his successor, like his many other unresolved California issues.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Penguins, seals and albatross Rosmarin began traveling the world in 2022 after quitting his job as a media buyer.—
Corey Williams,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
The benefits were found to be comparable to physical exercise and quitting smoking.—
Peter Weber,
TheWeek,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Netflix has done this before, handing the series its third season around this time last year before Season 2 arrived on the streamer in August 2025.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
-
High up on the curving walls to either side were large murals painted in the 1930s by the artist Barry Faulkner portraying Thomas Jefferson handing the Declaration to John Hancock and the ratification of the Constitution.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Foreign governments are dumping US Treasury bonds to stabilize their currencies amid the energy shock and financial volatility triggered by the Iran war.—
Tasneem Nashrulla,
semafor.com,
19 May 2026
-
Ferm Living stackable metal baskets keep you from dumping clothes in a pile.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
In many scenes where a conventional filmmaker would have layered in the sound of footsteps or ambient movement, Abraham chose silence, letting the visual image generate its own interior noise in the viewer’s mind.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
Going for a slightly longer take on a bob that hits below the chin (and perhaps even grazes toward your shoulders) allows all the polish and charm of a bob, while letting natural texture give a breezy, airy look that requires minimal work.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Democrats in Washington reacted so strongly that some even discussed a long-shot plan to prompt the Virginia legislature to throw out the state's Supreme Court by lowering the mandatory retirement age for justices, according to The New York Times.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
For example, Social Security retirement benefits could decrease and pensions could stay the same.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaving. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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