1
as in ending
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the auto company is downsizing and will be packing up operations at the local plant
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abandoning
to stop doing (something) permanently
after two years of college, he decided to pack in that academic stuff and join the army
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for packing (up or in)
Verb
-
The Chargers have been without top tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater because of season-ending ankle and knee injuries, respectively, and tried to make do as best as possible.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026 -
The team labored in home losses to Houston and the Los Angeles Chargers, with Mahomes ultimately suffering a season-ending ACL injury in the fourth quarter of that setback against the Chargers.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Gonzales has pleaded not guilty at trial to 29 counts of endangering or abandoning children.—
Matthew J. Friedman,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
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That means abandoning your inhibitions and not getting hung up on grammar or achieving proficiency, said Thomas Sauer, assistant director of resource development for the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Rhode founder and her stylist Dani Michele delivered a show-stopping moment on the red carpet, pulling a shimmering 2009 Armani Privé gown from the archives.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
10 Jan. 2026
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Stroll through the Funk Zone, stopping at wineries, breweries, and local shops along the way.—
Chantelle Kincy,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Food Lion decided to remove Sycamore products and is discontinuing all future orders.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
18 Dec. 2025
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Apple shows no immediate plan of discontinuing Apple TV+, but that may be due to the company’s high profitability and an overall cash flow that limits pressures to end its streaming service.—
David R. King,
Fortune,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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That’s because Keats, who died at just 25, was obsessed with the finality of things, with an unavoidable fear of life ceasing to be.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
26 Dec. 2025
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The first step for treating CHS is ceasing marijuana use entirely, Streem said.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The high risk of injury or death has spawned activism from teachers and students, as well as the uptick of educators quitting the profession.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
12 Jan. 2026
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No school will keep paying an athlete who doesn’t play for them, and there’s no contract that can prevent a player from quitting the team.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The performer delivered her opening monologue in a traffic-halting dress that featured a strapless neckline, thigh-high slit, and huge cloud-like skirt.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
13 Jan. 2026
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Their ignorance makes these militiamen quite ineffective at halting their own intelligence breaches.—
Elizabeth Tsurkov,
The Atlantic,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead, prune these shrubs after the flowers have begun to fall off in late spring to avoid cutting off the buds that will be next year’s blooms.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Jan. 2026
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The Iranian government has increasingly cracked down on demonstrators in recent days, cutting off internet access and phone lines in Tehran in the middle of last week.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
12 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Packing (up or in).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/packing%20%28up%20or%20in%29. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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