end

1 of 5

noun

1
a
: the part of an area that lies at the boundary
b(1)
: a point that marks the extent of something
(2)
: the point where something ceases to exist
world without end
c
: the extreme or last part lengthwise : tip
d
: the terminal unit of something spatial that is marked off by units
e
: a player stationed at the extremity of a line or team (as in football)
2
a
: cessation of a course of action, pursuit, or activity
c(1)
: the ultimate state
(2)
3
: something incomplete, fragmentary, or undersized : remnant
4
a
: an outcome worked toward : purpose
the end of poetry is to be poetryR. P. Warren
b
: the object by virtue of or for the sake of which an event takes place
5
a
: a share in an undertaking
kept your end up
b
: a particular operation or aspect of an undertaking or organization
the sales end of the business
6
: something that is extreme : ultimate
used with the
7
: a period of action or turn in any of various sports events (such as archery or lawn bowling)
ended adjective

end

2 of 5

verb (1)

ended; ending; ends

transitive verb

1
a
: to bring to an end
b
2
: to make up the end of
a wedding scene ends the film

intransitive verb

1
a
: to come to an end
the meeting will end at noon
b
: to reach a specified ultimate rank, situation, or place
usually used with up
ended up as a colonel
2
: die

end

3 of 5

adjective

: final, ultimate
end results
end markets

end

4 of 5

verb (2)

ended; ending; ends

transitive verb

dialectal, England
: to put (grain or hay) into a barn or stack

end-

5 of 5

combining form

variants or endo-
1
: within : inside
endoskeleton
compare ect-, exo-
2
: taking in
endothermic
Phrases
in the end
: after all, ultimately
will surely succeed in the end
no end
: exceedingly
it pleases us no end
on end
: without a stop or letup
it rained for days on end
Choose the Right Synonym for end

Noun

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal mean what one intends to accomplish or attain.

intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about.

announced his intention to marry

intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness.

the clear intent of the statute

purpose suggests a more settled determination.

being successful was her purpose in life

design implies a more carefully calculated plan.

the order of events came by accident, not design

aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing.

her aim was to raise film to an art form

end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such.

willing to use any means to achieve his end

object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need.

his constant object was the achievement of pleasure

objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable.

their objective is to seize the oil fields

goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship.

worked years to reach her goals

Verb (1)

close, end, conclude, finish, complete, terminate mean to bring or come to a stopping point or limit.

close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.

close a debate

end conveys a strong sense of finality.

ended his life

conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).

the service concluded with a blessing

finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.

after it is painted, the house will be finished

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

terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space.

your employment terminates after three months

Example Sentences

Noun The report is due at the end of the month. She interviewed several players at the end of the game. The restaurant is in the north end of the city. We biked from one end of the island to the other. The house is at the end of the road. They live at opposite ends of town. the deep end of a swimming pool She drove the end of the stake into the ground. The car's front end was damaged. One end of the rope was tangled. Adjective the end product of a process the end point of the operation See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Wonder what Pat Riley thinks about all that money sitting on the end of the bench? Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2023 The Spartans also turned five offensive rebounds into seven points without giving up a second-chance opportunity at the other end. Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2023 The loss before the Sweet 16 was a disappointing end for the Jayhawks after winning the national title last season and this year's Big 12 regular season. Erick Smith, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2023 But, look, at the end, being indicted never helps anybody. ABC News, 19 Mar. 2023 The poignancy of this scene will stick with anyone who has ever experienced a similar confusion, loss of confidence or fear — or has been on the end of worry about a missing loved one. Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Mar. 2023 Lucho makes an impact (84') Luciano Acosta sprayed a ball long to Sergio Santos, who got on the end of it and deposited it for 3-2. Cincinnati Enquirer, The Enquirer, 19 Mar. 2023 My deepest condolences on the end of your college life. Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, 19 Mar. 2023 The city of Carlsbad owns the 67-acre parking lot around the mall, including about 10 acres on the northern end of the lot that’s in Oceanside. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2023
Verb
Do all these forces arise because of an inability or an unwillingness by Israel to fundamentally make peace and end the occupation? Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2023 After World War II, designating the start and end dates for daylight saving time fell to state governments. Beth Ann Malow, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2023 Don’t expect investment in these startups to transform or end the student loan crisis. Amanda Hoover, WIRED, 6 Mar. 2023 If all goes as planned in coming days, Moore could end that drought. Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Mar. 2023 The steep costs associated with ticketing drew the attention of Debt Free Justice Illinois, a coalition of advocacy groups working to end fines and fees for youths in the justice system. Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica, 3 Mar. 2023 Many of the same political leaders who fought to end Roe v. Wade also oppose policies such as the child tax credit and paid family leave. Laura Goetz, STAT, 3 Mar. 2023 But 500 Women Scientists will end its Fellowship for the Future program, which provided a $5000 stipend, leadership training, and other support to women of color working to make STEMM fields more inclusive and equitable. Bycatherine Offord, science.org, 2 Mar. 2023 But given all the glaring similarities between ’00s-era diet culture and our current landscape, there are important distinctions that can actually empower us to end this cycle. Michelle Konstantinovsky, Glamour, 2 Mar. 2023
Adjective
Crawford’s end-of-2022 numbers — a 3-6 record and 5.47 ERA with a 23.1 percent strikeout rate and 8.7 percent walk rate before getting shut down with a shoulder impingement — were hardly dazzling. Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Mar. 2023 The process would recycle end-of-life battery and production scrap and remanufacture that into critical materials, the Energy Department said in a blog post. Matthew Daly, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2023 While most sharks gradually returned to shallow waters after the end-Permian mass extinction, some species permanently adapted to deeper waters, concludes the Cladodontomorph study. Samantha Arrowsmith, Discover Magazine, 15 Apr. 2022 SungEel Recycling Park Georgia will recycle end-of-life batteries to reclaim critical metals such as nickel, cobalt and lithium. J. Scott Trubey, ajc, 18 Aug. 2022 Over the next several years, the first generation of EV batteries will reach end-of-life. Doron Frenkel, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2022 These conclusively tied the Siberian flood basalts to the end-Permian mass extinction, a key result for both biology and geology. Howard Lee, Ars Technica, 2 July 2022 Sedimentologist Christopher Fielding of the University of Connecticut, one of our longtime colleagues, had recently identified these rocks as river and lake sediments deposited during the end-Permian event. Chris Mays, Scientific American, 23 June 2022 But Heller and McDonald do not support applying means-end scrutiny in the Second Amendment context. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 23 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'end.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English ende, from Old English; akin to Old High German enti end, Latin ante before, Greek anti against

Verb (2)

probably alteration of English dialect in to harvest

Combining form

French, from Greek, from endon within; akin to Greek en in, Old Latin indu, Hittite andan within — more at in

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of end was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near end

Cite this Entry

“End.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/end. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

end

1 of 3 noun
1
a
: the part at the boundary of an area
b
: a point that marks the limit of something or the point where something no longer exists
no end to her generosity
the end of the month
c
: the last part lengthwise : tip
2
a
: the stopping of a process or activity
3
: something left over : remnant
4
5
: a football lineman whose position is at the end of the line
6
: a phase of an undertaking
the sales end of the business
ended adjective

end

2 of 3 verb
: to bring or come to an end : stop

end-

3 of 3 combining form
variants or endo-
1
: within : inside
endoskeleton
compare exo-
2
: taking in
endothermic

More from Merriam-Webster on end

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