quit 1 of 2

1
as in to leave
to give up (a job or office) he decided to quit his job at the fast-food restaurant

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in to succumb
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) tried to persuade his daughter to remain at home, but eventually he just quit and let her go out on her own

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in to pay
to give what is owed for eager to quit all debts before starting married life

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quit

2 of 2

adjective

as in free
no longer burdened with something unpleasant or painful I am finally quit of that terrible task

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word quit distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of quit are cease, desist, discontinue, and stop. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

When is it sensible to use cease instead of quit?

The words cease and quit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality.

by nightfall the fighting had ceased

When is desist a more appropriate choice than quit?

While the synonyms desist and quit are close in meaning, desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

When would discontinue be a good substitute for quit?

While in some cases nearly identical to quit, discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When could stop be used to replace quit?

In some situations, the words stop and quit are roughly equivalent. However, stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.

stopped at the red light

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quit
Verb
People broke up or got married, abruptly quit jobs or threw all their money into an obscure start up, moved home to their parents or bought real estate in the city, got political, got tattoos or got in shape. Kate Belli, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025 Powerless to intervene Instead of quitting, Alexandra decided to join a workers’ union. Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025 No one wants to find out in the middle of a storm that a sump pump has quit. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025 In 2010, Vought quit working for House Republicans and helped launch Heritage Action for America, an offshoot of the influential conservative think tank Heritage Foundation. Andy Kroll, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quit
Verb
  • Markus Breitenecker, chief operating officer, is leaving his post with immediate effect.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister and was assassinated in 2022 at a campaign rally, two years after leaving office.
    Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Her motive for abandoning her daughter is unclear at this time.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Around 100 pairs were found abandoned on the roof, perhaps due to the thieves being frightened away, Sheriff John Budensiek said at the news conference.
    Mark Price, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Wearing a floor-length brown double-breasted coat featuring buttons that stopped at her waist, the attire created a sultry thigh-high slit that allowed Jolie's leg to peek through.
    Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Studies in animals and reports from people show that the side effects of this drug can continue even after someone stops taking it.
    Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The man who died, whose name has not been released, was reportedly injured during the incident and later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, officials said.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2025
  • One of the victims succumbed to her injuries.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • However, during the shutdown, VA benefits regional offices are closed, transition program assistance has ceased and VA cemetery grounds are not being maintained.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Past this point, plant growth will begin to cease, resulting in the same state in their crops as if a hard freeze has happened.
    Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Lowdown is paying tribute to its late star, Graham Greene.
    Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Their separation came five years after the couple were entangled in the Operation Varsity Blues scandal, pleading guilty to wire and mail fraud related to paying hundreds of thousands in bribes to get their daughters into the University of Southern California.
    Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Book a Weekday Flight Dong says if your trip allows, book a flight that departs during the week as opposed to the weekend.
    Sherri Gordon, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Since Olympic charter flights to Milan will be departing from the New York area, and because the Islanders had been promised an event in February 2026, the possibility of doing a big press availability was discussed as an alternative.
    Chris Johnston, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement In interviews, DaCosta has talked about the pleasures of telling stories in which Black women behave badly, instead of being forced to serve as virtuous role models.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Those surviving cells accumulated more genetic damage, and in some cases started behaving like cancer cells.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Quit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quit. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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