terminates

verb

present tense third-person singular of terminate
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ceases
to come to an end this class will terminate with the arrival of Memorial Day

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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 terminates The order will be effective for seven days unless the mayor terminates it earlier. — Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2026 With the Bridge program scheduled to expire at the end of 2027, a question looms regarding what will happen when the initiative terminates. — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 The Waiting Game Is the Smart Game In short, the Raptors are wise to wait to see whether the NBA finds the Clippers at fault and, in doing so, terminates Leonard’s contract or suspends him. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 July 2026 Taking in Wiggins without sending out any salary likely terminates any notion of the Hawks operating as a cap-room team this summer. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 June 2026 Over the summer, Hobart comes to life as its beaches and waterways are populated with happy locals and the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race terminates in the harbor. — Riley Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 19 June 2026 That post-mortem right, though, terminates no longer than 70 years after an individual’s passing. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 18 June 2026 That appears to be behaving a bit like an oceanic hot spot, leaving a trail of massive eruptions across the Snake River Plain that terminates at the immense calderas beneath present-day Yellowstone. — ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2026 And Republicans are on the clock, operating under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which terminates military operations after 60 without congressional approval. — Claudia Grisales, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terminates
  1. ends
  2. ceases
  3. defines
  4. assassinates
  5. removes
  6. concludes
  7. stops
  8. executes
Verb
  • When the mandate ends, the force will have one year to wrap up its operations and withdraw.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Tuck drumstick ends under band of skin across the tail if present or tie drumsticks securely to tail using 100%- cotton kitchen string.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of ends
Verb
  • There is a point beyond which the scale of a threat or a danger ceases to scare us.
    — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The audience ceases to be a destination for your voice and becomes the structure that shapes it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of ceases
Verb
  • As the footprint expands across major creative capitals, both founders remain adamantly protective of the core intimacy that defines their mission.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Public signals guide questions, internal evidence tests assumptions, and a road map defines what execution requires.
    — James Fratzke, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of defines
Verb
  • That assassinates Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking retaliatory attacks by Iran across the Middle East.
    — Jill Lawrence, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Soleimani assassination | Trump orders a drone strike in Iraq that assassinates Qasem Soleimani, an influential Iranian military commander.
    — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
Definition of assassinates
Verb
  • Sunday says the victims should feel satisfied that this plea removes the possibility that Vereb could be found not guilty by a jury.
    — Tory Wegerski, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Internet Archive removes recordings from the site when musicians ask, but hasn’t sought advance permission to share the music online.
    — Kevin McKeough, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of removes
Verb
  • After the lab concludes, the writers cohort will participate in a yearlong support program involving monthly meetings with screenwriters, agents, managers, producers, and executives.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Take the scene that concludes Episode 4, Shane having sex with Rose and Ilya masturbating in the shower.
    — Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of concludes
Verb
  • Last week, when Ocasio-Cortez made three campaign stops for Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, neither Democrat — and no audience members — brought up the topic of Gaza.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In January 2025, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch changed the department pursuit policy, barring cops from chasing after vehicles fleeing car stops unless a felony crime or a violent misdemeanor was committed.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of stops
Verb
  • TensorFlow Lite, a Google software tool, executes movements, including walking and recovery, using data from the phone’s internal sensors a few times per second.
    — muskanbhatia, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Teams built one system that both decides what to do and executes it.
    — Alex Salazar, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of executes

Browse Nearby Words

terminated
terminates
terminating
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Terminates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terminates. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All