1
as in ends
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ceases
to come to an end
this class will terminate with the arrival of Memorial Day
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in defines
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
as in assassinates
to put to death deliberately
the operative's covert mission was to terminate the leader of the opposition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in removes
to let go from office, service, or employment
he was terminated for constantly coming in to work late
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of terminates
The repeal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 endangerment finding effectively terminates the greenhouse gas standards that governed automakers for more than a decade and a half.
—
Julian Torres, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
In separate interviews this month, both lawmakers defended their stance opposing the Iroquois project by pointing out that the pipeline’s owners plan to use the new capacity to sell more gas to utilities in New York, where the pipeline terminates after crossing under Long Island Sound.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
In a 2014 study published in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology, researchers reported that people with SAD had 5% more SERT, a protein that terminates serotonin signals, in the winter than in the summer.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 15 Jan. 2026
If the Senate terminates the filibuster procedure, debate on legislation would be limited.
—George Petras, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Notably, the facilities at the summit are closed from late October through the beginning of May; during this time of year, the train terminates at Waumbek Station, which sits at 4,000 feet.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2025
There is a single two-lane road into and out of Black Rock City, which terminates at the Burning Man gate.
—Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
Netflix’s Chaos Monkey randomly terminates instances in production to force engineers to build services that survive failures.
—Mukul Garg, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
When an employer terminates, or is found to have terminated, an employee without cause, the contract (outside of the unionized setting) seldom entitles the employee to ger her job back.
—Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
Julian Torres, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
In separate interviews this month, both lawmakers defended their stance opposing the Iroquois project by pointing out that the pipeline’s owners plan to use the new capacity to sell more gas to utilities in New York, where the pipeline terminates after crossing under Long Island Sound.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
In a 2014 study published in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology, researchers reported that people with SAD had 5% more SERT, a protein that terminates serotonin signals, in the winter than in the summer.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 15 Jan. 2026
If the Senate terminates the filibuster procedure, debate on legislation would be limited.
—George Petras, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Notably, the facilities at the summit are closed from late October through the beginning of May; during this time of year, the train terminates at Waumbek Station, which sits at 4,000 feet.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2025
There is a single two-lane road into and out of Black Rock City, which terminates at the Burning Man gate.
—Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
Netflix’s Chaos Monkey randomly terminates instances in production to force engineers to build services that survive failures.
—Mukul Garg, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
When an employer terminates, or is found to have terminated, an employee without cause, the contract (outside of the unionized setting) seldom entitles the employee to ger her job back.
—Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terminates
Verb
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For others, such as Roman Catholicism, Lent ends at sundown on Maundy, or Holy Thursday.—
Marina Johnson,
IndyStar,
20 Feb. 2026
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Antibus said that when snowfall ends, the leftover snowpack is what causes dangerous conditions for avalanches in the backcountry.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At that point the lines painted on the asphalt turn from cages into features of the landscape among many others, and the mysterious flying object ceases to be easily recognizable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
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Once the prisoner ceases his danse macabre, the crowd goes wild.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Borrero’s amendment defines large destination resorts as those with at least five contiguous acres, 500 rooms or more and an average occupancy rate of at least 70% in the past three years.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
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Swoosh print defines this KD 6 colorway from 2013 now returning for the first time.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The gentle formula removes dirt and product buildup with a mild lather without irritating the scalp.—
Jamie Wilson,
Glamour,
20 Feb. 2026
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In fact, using automation tools removes much of the mental work that can make saving feel overwhelming in the first place.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Having flown with the team Monday for Tuesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the start of a trip that concludes Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers, the fourth-year forward returned to Miami on Tuesday due to what the team is listing as low-back tightness.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Feb. 2026
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Those decisions are expected by the end of June when the court’s term concludes, but could come as soon as this week when the justices release more decisions on Tuesday and Wednesday.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For this reason, Yuen added, humidifiers can be particularly helpful for people who have a cold, asthma, or obstructive sleep apnea, which is when breathing starts and stops during sleep due to airway obstruction.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
23 Feb. 2026
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Additional stops to the itinerary are dropped and added at will.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Using its multi-camera vision system, the robot identifies laundry items, determines their orientation and shape, and executes folding motions learned during training.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
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The technology also executes structured tasks under governance controls.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Henry dismisses Yasmin but can’t shake the niggling feeling that his wife isn’t entirely wrong.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
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Eduardo Bolsonaro dismisses concerns that the current electoral scenario could split the vote and lead to a first-round electoral victory for Lula.—
David Unsworth,
FOXNews.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terminates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terminates. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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