terminate 1 of 2

Definition of terminatenext
1
as in to end
to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point we need to terminate the discussion for this evening, but we'll resume tomorrow morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
as in to define
to mark the limits of terminated the area set aside for the runners to change their clothes with a series of folding screens

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
5

terminate

2 of 2

adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb terminate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of terminate are close, complete, conclude, end, and finish. While all these words mean "to bring or come to a stopping point or limit," terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space.

your employment terminates after three months

When might close be a better fit than terminate?

While the synonyms close and terminate are close in meaning, close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.

close a debate

When is complete a more appropriate choice than terminate?

The meanings of complete and terminate largely overlap; however, complete implies the removal of all deficiencies or a successful finishing of what has been undertaken.

the resolving of this last issue completes the agreement

Where would conclude be a reasonable alternative to terminate?

The words conclude and terminate can be used in similar contexts, but conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).

the service concluded with a blessing

When can end be used instead of terminate?

In some situations, the words end and terminate are roughly equivalent. However, end conveys a strong sense of finality.

ended his life

In what contexts can finish take the place of terminate?

The synonyms finish and terminate are sometimes interchangeable, but finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.

after it is painted, the house will be finished

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 terminate
Verb
The next day, she was terminated, less than five days after her initial post. Huo Jingnan, NPR, 23 June 2026 His contract sets a minimum of a 12-month payout were the district to terminate his employment without cause. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
Adjective
That control gave Puglisi the sole authority to set up new credit card accounts, change spending limits, manage card access and terminate accounts. Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2021 ChristianaCare, the state’s largest health care system and largest private employer, has stated that all employees must receive the first dose of the vaccine by Sept. 21, or the health system with terminate workers who don’t unless given an exemption. From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2021 See All Example Sentences for terminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terminate
Verb
  • Kylee and Aven left Bachelor in Paradise in a relationship but without an engagement, though their romance ended shortly after the season finale aired.
    Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026
  • The dismissal of the arson charge does not end the criminal case against Hobby.
    Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Chisholm scored on Jose Caballero's RBI groundout in the fourth inning before hitting a two-run homer in the sixth as New York ended a three-game losing streak and stopped Detroit's four-game winning streak.
    CBS News, CBS News, 24 June 2026
  • Disneyland officials said a cast member immediately stopped the ride.
    Dennis Romero, NBC news, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • One of Wood’s earliest conversations with Reid centered on abandoning the heeled footwear that helped define earlier versions of the character.
    Precious Fondren, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
  • McTominay, whose iconic bicycle kick against Denmark was the defining goal of Scotland’s World Cup qualifying campaign, threatened multiple times past the 80th minute but couldn’t convert.
    Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • He was invited by Malcolm X to stay in Harlem at the famous Hotel Theresa, where agents with ties to the FBI, CIA and the Mafia, plotted to assassinate him.
    Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026
  • Iran’s new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is regarded as even more of a hard-liner than his father, Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated, at eighty-six, by Israeli Air Force strikes.
    Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Propellers can be particularly burdensome because rotors often need to be removed, cleaned and reinstalled, requiring some real elbow grease.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
  • The pool is being cleaned twice annually, with 10 to 15 large truckloads of debris removed at each cleaning, the National Park Service reports.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • In any other job, this would be a terminable offense.
    Baltimore Sun staff, Baltimore Sun, 20 May 2026
  • The contract is terminable at will on 15 days’ prior notice.
    Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Police say the investigation is active and more details will be released once it is concluded.
    CBS Baltimore Staff, CBS News, 21 June 2026
  • The excavation, which began in September of last year and will conclude in July, uncovered a public bathhouse, residential blocks, luxury townhouses, streets, and a tower dating back nearly 2,000 years.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • As of Monday evening, no formal announcement had been made regarding when the facility would cease operations or when the demobilization process would be completed.
    Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 23 June 2026
  • Haiti ceased making payments in 1947.
    Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Terminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terminate. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.

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