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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
5
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

6
7
as in to pay
to give what is owed for eager to quit all debts before starting married life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

8
9

quit

2 of 2

adjective

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Yet most power plants served by those mines plan to quit burning coal altogether within 10 years, an Associated Press data analysis shows. Jordan Blum, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025 Zayn Malik quit the band a month into the stadium trek. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025 The Cheek family founded the Maxwell House brand The brand started as a venture from Nashville businessman Joel Cheek, who quit his job as a coffee broker to start the Nashville Coffee and Manufacturing Company in 1899. Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025 Dogs may not get endless playtime, but one determined Cavapoo wasn’t ready to call it quits when his toys were put away. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quit
Verb
  • Nobody wants to be seen by voters as the cause of a shutdown that will leave many federal workers without pay and some services closed.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The photographs show how the wearable had swelled leaving no gap between his finger and the ring.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The floater that has been such a huge part of his game abandoned him.
    Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Twenty years prior to the present day of the movie, Ray Stoker (Day-Lewis) abandoned his family to live off the grid in a hut in the woods after a scarring incident during the conflict, which pitted Catholics against Protestants within Northern Ireland, and union loyalists against republicans.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The trend shows no signs of stopping.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • To help stop the spread, wash your hands, avoid sick areas, and report symptoms quickly.
    Jenna Anderson, Health, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Everything has broken right for Egbuka since the moment he was drafted, with Chris Godwin having a setback from his 2024 injury, Jalen McMillan severely injuring his neck and then Mike Evans succumbing to his annual hamstring injury.
    Michael Salfino, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Some deer who succumb to the disease don't look sick, the state wildlife agency said.
    Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The humble soybean has become a flashpoint in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies after Beijing ceased all purchases from the US.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Guests who fail to comply will be asked to cease smoking.
    Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The state made a similar deal with the white owners of a nearby daycare that had to close due to flooding -- but ALDOT paid those property owners $165,000 for a portion of their property.
    Maia Rosenfeld, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Typically, financial advisors are paid via commission, fees or a hybrid of the two.
    Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • For example, a three-day Bahamas cruise on Carnival Glory, departing on June 5, 2026, during summer vacation, currently starts at $554 per person based on double occupancy, according to Carnival's website.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Flight 5047 had just arrived from Charlotte, North Carolina, when the wing of flight 5155, preparing to depart for Roanoke, Virginia, hit the nose of their aircraft.
    Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The powder boasts a natural finish and photo-friendly formula that behaved beautifully under the cameras of both weddings.
    Francesca Krempa, StyleCaster, 30 Sep. 2025
  • After a summer where player power and conduct dominated the transfer window talking points, Guehi demonstrated exactly how a professional should behave.
    Rob Tanner, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quit. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on quit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!