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ultimate

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ultimate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ultimate are final, last, and terminal. While all these words mean "following all others (as in time, order, or importance)," ultimate implies the last degree or stage of a long process beyond which further progress or change is impossible.

the ultimate collapse of the system

When would final be a good substitute for ultimate?

The words final and ultimate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, final applies to that which definitely closes a series, process, or progress.

final day of school

In what contexts can last take the place of ultimate?

While the synonyms last and ultimate are close in meaning, last applies to something that comes at the end of a series but does not always imply that the series is completed or stopped.

last page of a book
last news we had of him

When could terminal be used to replace ultimate?

The synonyms terminal and ultimate are sometimes interchangeable, but terminal may indicate a limit of extension, growth, or development.

terminal phase of a disease

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 ultimate
Adjective
Loro Piana was a master class experience in the ultimate of Italian refinement and materiality. Luisa Zargani, WWD, 2 Mar. 2025 Mira Chai Hyde has a client roster that reads like the ultimate who’s who. Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 2 Mar. 2025
Noun
But the ultimate truth here is that the Democrats drove themselves into a cul-de-sac on this issue. ABC News, 26 Oct. 2025 Probably not, since every team bar one is going to end the season by coming up short of the ultimate prize. Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ultimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ultimate
Adjective
  • Try to fit in the maximum amount of storage space.
    Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2025
  • That is especially worrisome for the kinds of felony charges faced by Rozier, Billups and Jones, who, if convicted, could face maximum prison sentences of decades.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Diagonal passes to onrushing full-backs has proven to be another effective route around the high defensive line, as Inter targeted Denzel Dumfries with 14 long balls out to his flank across the two-legged Champions League semi-final tie with Barcelona last season.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • But the tone of those attacks have amped up in recent days, drawing allegations from some Democrats that Cuomo’s campaign is leaning into Islamophobia in the final stretch of the campaign.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • That's close to the farthest point in its orbit, which is 252,088 miles away, according to NASA.
    Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2023
  • At its farthest, the capsule was more than 268,000 miles from Earth.
    Marcia Dunn, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2022
Noun
  • The series is all flirtation without consummation, amusement without mirth, inconvenience without jeopardy.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
  • What’s 20 years of waiting for consummation, among friends?
    Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Just three offensive starters have returned in what is otherwise an almost brand-new roster, and Rogers has done his utmost to retain a certain mystique about his plans.
    Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Europe could do their utmost to back Kyiv, but fail to tip the balance without American backup.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • There aren't a ton of great options in free agency, though there may not be too many choices at all via trade either, as most teams have their starter and backup quarterbacks locked in and won't be looking to part with either at this point in the year.
    Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
  • His girlfriend had taken a 38 rifle to the back of his head and plastered most of its contents onto the kitchen wall.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The video is the latest in a lengthy stream of controversies the probation department has faced in recent years.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2023
  • The shooting happened the day before the fifth anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting that killed 17 and is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the U.S.
    Joey Cappelletti and Mike Householder, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Feb. 2023
Noun
  • This classic oversized sweater is the epitome of cozy.
    Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2025
  • For the less athletically inclined, the heated, saltwater infinity pool is pretty much the epitome of il dolce far niente.
    Laura Itzkowitz, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ultimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ultimate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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