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Synonym Chooser

How is the word discontinue distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of discontinue are cease, desist, quit, and stop. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When might cease be a better fit than discontinue?

In some situations, the words cease and discontinue are roughly equivalent. However, cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality.

by nightfall the fighting had ceased

When can desist be used instead of discontinue?

While the synonyms desist and discontinue are close in meaning, desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

When is it sensible to use quit instead of discontinue?

The meanings of quit and discontinue largely overlap; however, quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

When could stop be used to replace discontinue?

The words stop and discontinue can be used in similar contexts, but stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.

stopped at the red light

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 discontinue Meanwhile, 5% of people who used Medicare Advantage plans in 2024 had to find a new one in 2025 because of a plan being discontinued. Grace McCormack, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2025 Juicy Tubes, a category-defining lip gloss that ruled the aughts and, after being discontinued in 2018, relaunched with much fanfare in 2020. Claire Sullivan, Footwear News, 28 Mar. 2025 The company has just announced two of its home gadgets will be discontinued, one of which is quite popular. ArsTechnica, 28 Mar. 2025 The Japanese love their fax machines so much that when plans were announced to discontinue them in government departments four years ago, they were scuttled due to widespread complaints. Tamsin Gable, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for discontinue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discontinue
Verb
  • The cuts do not necessarily mean a program will cease to operate.
    Melody Schreiber, NPR, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Some ceased vaccination clinics, halted wastewater surveillance programs and even terminated a contract with the courier service that transports specimens to state labs to test for infectious diseases.
    Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Heading them is none other than Robert Keller, who wasn’t killed after all, and now blames his big bro for abandoning him.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The Indonesian government was floating a moratorium to stop the construction of new hotels, villas and nightclubs in Bali, in an effort to curb over tourism—an idea that was abandoned at the start of the year.
    Michelle Tchea, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The confrontation stopped and restarted as the man appeared to try to get the knife away from Perez over the fence.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • When the American money stopped flowing, the local soup kitchen closed and Ms. Musa went out searching for food.
    Declan Walsh, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In Afghanistan, where over 23 million people rely on aid, the cuts will end food support for millions, halt care for malnourished children, and disrupt maternal health services.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Several factors could halt the tariffs imposed by Mr. Trump, according to experts.
    Alain Sherter, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Among the factors: ESOPs outperform non-ESOPs in job retention, pay, and workplace health safety and lower voluntary worker quit rates.
    Mary Josephs, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • And the fact that players haven’t quit is an encouraging sign.
    Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Lawmakers can typically override a governor’s veto with another vote on the bill if the legislation receives two-thirds support from each chamber, though the Idaho Legislature ended this year’s regular legislative session early this month.
    Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 15 Apr. 2025
  • The 2023 revival debuted at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as part of its Broadway Center Stage series, then had a 24-week run on Broadway that ended just over a year ago.
    Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • All gift cards for fast-fashion retailer Forever 21, which filed for bankruptcy, are set to expire this week.
    Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Another put option, with a strike price of $260 and expiring on March 21, 2025, could have been bought for $1.89 on January 15, when Tesla closed at $428.22, and sold for $40.80 on March 10, when Tesla traded at $222.15, yielding a return of 2,059%.
    Korok Ray, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • China's tariff rate is now in triple digit territory, and who knows what happens in 90 days when this pause concludes.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The audience peaked with around 21.1M viewers as the nail-biting game, in which the Gators trailed for a majority of the time, was concluding.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Discontinue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discontinue. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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