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Synonyms

cease

American  
[sees] / sis /

verb (used without object)

ceased, ceasing

  1. to stop; discontinue.

    Not all medieval beliefs have ceased to exist.
    Antonyms:
    begin

  2. to come to an end.

    At last the war has ceased.
    Synonyms:
    culminate, end, terminate
    Antonyms:
    begin

  3. Obsolete. to pass away; die out.

verb (used with object)

ceased, ceasing

  1. to put a stop or end to; discontinue.

    He begged them to cease their quarreling.

noun

  1. cessation.

    The noise of the drilling went on for hours without cease.

idioms

  1. never cease to amaze. never cease to amaze.

cease British  
/ siːs /

verb

  1. to bring or come to an end; desist from; stop

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. without stopping; incessantly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
cease More Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing cease

Etymology

Origin of cease

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English ces(s)en, from Old French cesser, from Latin cessāre “to leave off,” equivalent to cess(us) (past participle of cēdere “to withdraw, go”; cede

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.

Mirroring the narrative of the musical, the more we look, the more we not only become accustomed to Auggie’s face, but we cease to see it as abnormal.

From The Wall Street Journal

MSF said it had been informed by Israel that its registration will be revoked later on Wednesday and the charity would have to cease its operations by March 1.

From Barron's

Most of the smaller stocks were newly minted and almost all ceased to exist in a few years.

From Barron's

Under the truce, Cambodia and Thailand pledged to cease fire, freeze troop movements and cooperate on demining efforts along their disputed frontier.

From Barron's

Micron, owner of the Crucial brand sold in many online and high street shops, recently announced it was ceasing its consumer business to focus on demand from AI companies.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.