terminate

[tur-muh-neyt] / ˈtɜr məˌneɪt /

VERB

stop, finish

Synonyms

STRONGEST

abolish abort adjourn annul cancel cease complete conclude cut off determine discharge discontinue dismiss dissolve eliminate expire halt put an end to recess restrict sack wrap up

STRONG

achieve bounce bound close confine define desist drop end extinguish fire issue lapse limit perfect prorogue result scratch scrub tether wrap

WEAK

bring to an end come to an end prorogate run out ultimate wind down wind up

Antonyms

STRONGEST

accept allow begin carry on commence continue employ encourage engage establish hire hold introduce keep keep on permit ratify start uphold welcome

STRONG

bear create free go on let go release restart schedule set up

WEAK

initiate open

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The healthcare IT company where Sanchez works as a senior customer success manager allowed her to take a 60-day unpaid leave of absence but said it would have to terminate her employment afterward.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Under US law, the president, vice-president and most other high-ranking members of the executive branch cannot directly or indirectly ask the IRS to terminate an investigation.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

These consents, after all, are legal agreements that terminate a biological parent’s legal claim to a child and vest those rights in non-biological parents.

From Slate • May 13, 2026

Mifepristone, which prevents pregnancy progression, and misoprostol, which empties the uterus, are approved to terminate a pregnancy up to 70 days of gestation in the United States.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

Neal moved to Ascend Communications, which built little boxes to terminate Internet signals and was acquired by Lucent Technologies in 1999 for $24 billion, one of the largest acquisitions in history.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Vocabulary lists containing terminate

Unit 1: Telling Details

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"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving

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The Monroe Doctrine (1823)

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