cease

1 of 2

verb

ceased; ceasing

transitive verb

: to cause to come to an end especially gradually : no longer continue
they were forced to cease operations
cease to exist

intransitive verb

1
a
: to come to an end
the fighting gradually ceased
b
: to bring an activity or action to an end : discontinue
they have been ordered to cease and desist
2
obsolete : to become extinct : die out

cease

2 of 2

noun

: cessation
usually used with without
I kept an eye upon her without ceaseR. L. Stevenson
Choose the Right Synonym for cease

stop, cease, quit, discontinue, desist mean to suspend or cause to suspend activity.

stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.

stopped at the red light

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

quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

Examples of cease in a Sentence

Verb The fighting along the border has temporarily ceased. The factory ceased operations last year. The child would not cease his constant whining. Noun worked without cease for the betterment of humanity
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
As security collapsed in the north, aid deliveries all but ceased. Yasmeen Abutaleb, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Despite these outcomes, the city of Sacramento ceased funding Advance Peace in December 2021, thus experiencing a significant uptick in gun violence in 2022 and 2023. Elinor Simek, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cease 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cease.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English cesen, from Anglo-French cesser, from Latin cessare to hold back, be remiss, frequentative of cedere

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cease was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cease

Cite this Entry

“Cease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cease. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cease

verb
ˈsēs
ceased; ceasing
: to come or bring to an end : stop

More from Merriam-Webster on cease

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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