quit 1 of 2

1
as in to leave
to give up (a job or office) he decided to quit his job at the fast-food restaurant

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
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5
as in to succumb
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) tried to persuade his daughter to remain at home, but eventually he just quit and let her go out on her own

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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7
as in to pay
to give what is owed for eager to quit all debts before starting married life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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quit

2 of 2

adjective

as in free
no longer burdened with something unpleasant or painful I am finally quit of that terrible task

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word quit distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of quit are cease, desist, discontinue, and stop. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

When is it sensible to use cease instead of quit?

The words cease and quit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 is desist a more appropriate choice than quit?

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

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

When would discontinue be a good substitute for quit?

While in some cases nearly identical to quit, discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When could stop be used to replace quit?

In some situations, the words stop and quit are roughly equivalent. However, 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 quit
Verb
Model Brooks Nader and dance pro Gleb Savchenko have called it quits after meeting as partners on season 33 of Dancing With the Stars. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025 In addition, the report said that 20% of parents have either quit their job or been fired because of child care issues. Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2025 This Guardian article about a woman who quit her job, closed her bank account, and lives without money is quite something. Sigal Samuel, Vox, 6 Apr. 2025 Tariffs hit, wallets quit: low-income families take the hardest blow. Chad De Guzman, Time, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quit
Verb
  • The department did not say how much money is left of the total $189 billion approved.
    CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • With few options left, Adam begins considering and concocting ways to enact vengeance, but Basem, having been down that rageful path, advises him otherwise.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 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
  • Typically seen as a safe haven asset in times of economic or geopolitical uncertainty, gold succumbed to the aftershock of Trump’s policy seesawing in recent days before rallying 1.7% to around $3,228 an ounce on Friday morning.
    Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025
  • However, the music exec succumbed to his conditions.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The cuts do not necessarily mean a program will cease to operate.
    Melody Schreiber, NPR, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The Department of Government Efficiency may not last much longer, but that doesn’t mean fraud and waste will cease.
    Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Werner heard that one of her scholarships—which had been administered by the center—was being eliminated, sending her into a panic about how to pay for school.
    Emma Green, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Federal investigators ultimately found that its officers use excessive force, discriminate against Black people, conduct stops and searches without probable cause, and arrest people purely for not having the money to pay fines.
    Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Fields and Wilson departed this offseason, while backup Skylar Thompson was signed and Rudolph returned, possibly starting if the Steelers don't sign Rodgers and make a big trade.
    Ryan Deto, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025
  • With Evans departing, Villanova calling and a chance to choose what will probably be the last major job of his career, Willard opted for what must have felt like the safer long-term bet.
    Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Rourke's confrontation with Siwa came just days after the actor was called out for behaving inappropriately toward host AJ Odudu while entering the house.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 13 Apr. 2025
  • The males that lived near busy roadways behaved more aggressively than those living farther away by approaching the speaker closely and repeatedly swooping low over it, probably in search of the intruder.
    GrrlScientist, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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