terminate 1 of 2

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 waiver was terminated at the outset of the strike, which should have prevented her from writing on the show. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 10 May 2025 Some funding for substance abuse prevention was also terminated mid-contract due to the federal budget changes, the spokesperson said. Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
Adjective
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 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 See All Example Sentences for terminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terminate
Verb
  • The game ended on a sacrifice fly at 1:17 a.m. Arkansas will throw junior right-hander Gage Wood against LSU junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson.
    Matt Jones, Arkansas Online, 11 May 2025
  • Trump has previously pushed Ukraine to cede territory to Russia to end the war, threatening to walk away if a deal becomes too difficult.
    SAMYA KULLAB, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • Angelo must stop whoever’s coming for his family by searching his past hits for clues, and the list is very long.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 May 2025
  • But that doesn’t stop her from musing about love in all its forms, which now include her fragrance.
    Jackie Fields, People.com, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • Sadly, today’s political revolt is divorced from the cultural and artistic values that define and empower humanity.
    Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
  • The series explores how Bao personifies the idealism and adventurism that defined the city in the 1990s.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • This time, his assignment takes him to Serbia, as he is tasked with assassinating the merciless General Mile Valstoria (Peter Linka).
    Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 10 May 2025
  • The group is suspected of assassinating the majority of the more than 133 indigenous social leaders killed in northern Cauca between 2016 and 2024.
    Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • Walmart has removed self checkout machines in some locations, including in Shrewbury, Missouri and Cleveland.
    Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 10 May 2025
  • Plug aerators remove uniform pieces of soil with hollow tines.
    Kate Puhala, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • These transfers can be made to trusts, such as qualified terminable interest property trust which can be relatively simple and inexpensive to create and also defer estate tax on unlimited wealth.
    Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Another type of trust to consider in this situation would be a qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust.
    Liz Weston, oregonlive, 6 Aug. 2023
Verb
  • Their research concluded that nearly 40% of dogs tested positive for the disease.
    Terry Collins, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • Investigators later concluded that faulty mechanical systems, combined with weak oversight, were to blame.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • But without a new agreement, it would be forced to cease operations and lay off 58 workers at the Vacaville site.
    Annika Merrilees, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2025
  • India ordered its citizens to return from Pakistan and closed a vital border crossing following the attack, while Pakistan ceased trade with its neighbor and returned Indian diplomats.
    Dan Gooding Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Terminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terminate. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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