termination

noun

ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce termination (audio)
Definition of terminationnext
1
as in limitation
a real or imaginary point beyond which a person or thing cannot go I've reached the termination of my patience with you kids

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in demise
the act of ceasing to exist feels that the voluntary termination of one's life should be left entirely up to the patient

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cessation
the stopping of a process or activity at the termination of the movie, please throw away any empty food containers in the appropriate bins

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 termination Batie-Smoose is waging a wrongful termination lawsuit against SJSU. — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026 The suit also requests injunctions to prevent future faculty terminations and speech suppression on campus. — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026 Nichols argues that this abrupt termination led to a breakdown of trust and supply chains, which are challenging to reinstate. — Kazeem Olawale Nasiru, NPR, 17 July 2026 Beatty has since filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the county, and her attorney has proposed a $975,000 settlement. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for termination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for termination
  1. limitation
  2. demise
  3. cessation
  4. limit
  5. dissolution
  6. ending
  7. end
  8. death
Noun
  • Two sources familiar with the matter told CNN over the weekend the uranium enrichment provision includes stipulations imposed by the US, but details of potential limitations are unclear.
    — Arpita Dasika, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • Its attendance is capped at around 160,000 due to capacity limitations, which also limit the number of exhibitors in the 600,000 square foot exhibit hall.
    — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of limitation
Noun
  • Ship is scheduled to perform a landing burn and soft splashdown of its own a little more than an hour after liftoff, and will meet a watery demise in the Indian Ocean.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 July 2026
  • The neutrality also suggests that Democrats are wary of backing relatively unknown candidates after Platner’s political demise.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 16 July 2026
Definition of demise
Noun
  • Democrats, however, are pushing for further limits in line with a war powers resolution that would force the cessation of military actions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
  • Freight rates rose rapidly in May as carriers added more fuel surcharges and general rate increases amid the war in Iran and near-cessation of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 30 June 2026
Definition of cessation
Noun
  • Over his first 17 starts, McClanahan has thrown 86 innings, and there has been loose talk of a limit of 150.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
  • With the Heat so tight against the hard cap created by the Antetokounmpo signing, the Heat likely will only add two more to the standard roster and start the season with 14 such players, one shy of the NBA roster limit.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 July 2026
Definition of limit
Noun
  • Sandhoo also serves as the Space Force’s portfolio acquisition executive for missile warning and tracking, which would keep him in charge of much of the SDA’s mission after the agency’s dissolution.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026
  • These include dissolution, which uses solvents to recover polystyrene as pellets, and pyrolysis, which heats mixed plastic waste in low oxygen to produce oil-like feedstocks for new plastic.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
Definition of dissolution
Noun
  • Advertisement But the 2026 movie They Fight has a happy ending, culminating in Quincey winning a boxing tournament in Salisbury, Maryland, validating Manigan as a coach.
    — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 17 July 2026
  • Without getting into spoilers, the series wraps on an ambiguous ending that asks the viewer to decide just how much Lonnie has grown.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
Definition of ending
Noun
  • This is a character who, at least at the top of Season 2 and toward the end of Season 3, surrendered himself to the notion that the war is over.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 20 July 2026
  • Full-backs Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella excelled at both ends of the pitch.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of end
Noun
  • At the time of his death, Garcia-Sanchez was hauling asbestos-containing materials from the ninth floor to lower levels using a freight elevator, the report said.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
  • Carmack’s wife and two children all attended Queens, and his family currently stewards a scholarship his wife’s parents set up at the school prior to their deaths.
    — Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
Definition of death

Browse Nearby Words

terminating
termination
terminations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Termination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/termination. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on termination

Nglish: Translation of termination for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about termination

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of maverick

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All