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
Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 6 Jan. 2026
Bleeding, the victim stumbled out and snapped a few photos of the USPS van leaving.
—Olivia Young, CBS News, 24 Dec. 2025
And that was the difference between staying in the game or leaving.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
But what’s critical is not just Maduro leaving, but those around him — those who will only be further perpetrators of the injustices that Maduro puts forward — that none of them are allowed to just come to power.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025
With both Heidi and Ego leaving, there’s only two full-time female cast members, Chloe Fineman and Sarah Sherman.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 5 Dec. 2025
The complaint says the student's parents disenrolled their children from the school before the end of the 2021-22 school year, after receiving backlash on social media from teachers and parents, blaming the parents for Kalumbula's leaving.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
With Mead leaving, Camela Kay said Eric Kay took on many of his duties.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 28 Oct. 2025
But Velma's leaving wasn’t the only season 3 shakeup — later in the episode, it was also revealed that Randy’s cousin Bobby (Eric Graise) had also exited the series.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Jamie Yuccas, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Vatti said Diamantis made an $80,000 payment on the day after signing the retainer and made an additional six payments totalling $105,000 between August 2024 and February 2025, leaving the $65,000 balance.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2026
Up close and personal Any sadness at leaving the gorillas behind was quickly dispelled by the journey to our next destination.
—Holden Frith, TheWeek, 9 Jan. 2026
One high-profile shooting unfolded in Harvey when an August house party turned deadly, leaving seven people injured and one man dead.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
The polish’s wide brush coats the entire nail bed in one swipe, leaving glossy, streak-free, and opaque color.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 9 Jan. 2026
Stuck in this box hurtling toward the abyss is Agnes (Coon), who’s been living at a motel on the fringes of Oklahoma City since leaving a violent ex, Jerry (Steve Key).
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
In her memoir, The Next Day, released in April, Melinda wrote that leaving the Gates Foundation was one of the formative moments of her life.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
The officer found video of a vehicle matching the description leaving on Blackwelder Way.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
With Durham leaving, LSU just added former Mansfield Lake Ridge and Aledo star running back Raycine Guillory, who is transferring from Utah.
—Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 6 Jan. 2026
Bleeding, the victim stumbled out and snapped a few photos of the USPS van leaving.
—Olivia Young, CBS News, 24 Dec. 2025
And that was the difference between staying in the game or leaving.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
But what’s critical is not just Maduro leaving, but those around him — those who will only be further perpetrators of the injustices that Maduro puts forward — that none of them are allowed to just come to power.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025
With both Heidi and Ego leaving, there’s only two full-time female cast members, Chloe Fineman and Sarah Sherman.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 5 Dec. 2025
The complaint says the student's parents disenrolled their children from the school before the end of the 2021-22 school year, after receiving backlash on social media from teachers and parents, blaming the parents for Kalumbula's leaving.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
With Mead leaving, Camela Kay said Eric Kay took on many of his duties.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 28 Oct. 2025
But Velma's leaving wasn’t the only season 3 shakeup — later in the episode, it was also revealed that Randy’s cousin Bobby (Eric Graise) had also exited the series.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
Limited backup power could knock out internet access, leaving millions to wait for instant answers.
—Jamie Yuccas, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Vatti said Diamantis made an $80,000 payment on the day after signing the retainer and made an additional six payments totalling $105,000 between August 2024 and February 2025, leaving the $65,000 balance.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2026
Up close and personal Any sadness at leaving the gorillas behind was quickly dispelled by the journey to our next destination.
—Holden Frith, TheWeek, 9 Jan. 2026
One high-profile shooting unfolded in Harvey when an August house party turned deadly, leaving seven people injured and one man dead.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
The polish’s wide brush coats the entire nail bed in one swipe, leaving glossy, streak-free, and opaque color.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 9 Jan. 2026
Stuck in this box hurtling toward the abyss is Agnes (Coon), who’s been living at a motel on the fringes of Oklahoma City since leaving a violent ex, Jerry (Steve Key).
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
In her memoir, The Next Day, released in April, Melinda wrote that leaving the Gates Foundation was one of the formative moments of her life.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
The officer found video of a vehicle matching the description leaving on Blackwelder Way.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaving
Noun
-
Flights for Los Angeles International Airport were temporarily halted Sunday because of a staffing shortage at the Southern California TRACON, which handles flights arriving or departing.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
-
How much of the two presidents Alaskans will be able to see beyond their aircraft arriving and departing is unclear.—
Al Weaver,
The Hill,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
However, that action then sparked outrage among many residents who felt the city was abandoning homeless residents, while also trying to push them to other cities.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
At the same time, demand for nonalcoholic alternatives has surged — even as most consumers continue to drink alcohol in moderation rather than abandoning it altogether.—
Jason Mastrodonato,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Rewriting society’s decision-making Unlike biased pundits who hem, haw and hedge their bets, Web3 prediction markets cut through noise, bequeathing a signal that feeds into pricing mechanisms themselves.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Charlotte Moore has made her first statement hire since quitting the BBC to join The Crown producer Left Bank.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Ariana Grande is opening up about nearly quitting music.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Case for Hiring a Pro Hiring a pet transporter means handing the leash—temporarily—to someone trained for the job.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
How to Watch Suns vs Warriors Phoenix went supernova from the floor on Sunday night in handing the visiting San Antonio Spurs their first loss with a 130-118 decision.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Countries like China let their industries pollute freely, dumping chemicals into rivers, pumping toxins into the air and throwing plastics into the ocean.—
Chip Lamarca,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Lately on TikTok, people have been dumping frozen orange juice concentrate into blenders alongside Greek yogurt, bananas, and other fridge and pantry staples to recreate the viral Orange Julius smoothie.—
Ashia Aubourg,
Outside,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His version of vulnerability, letting the audience get to know him.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Cuban argues if similar transparency and direct‑to‑consumer models were applied across health care—combined with rules like letting cash prices count toward insurance deductibles—the country could strip out layers of waste that burden both families and, ultimately, public budgets.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Outside of the coach, his wife and his successor, Frank Solich, no one knew of Osborne’s impending retirement.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
America’s retirement outlook is getting brighter.—
Fiona Greig,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaving. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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