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Showing results for cease. Search instead for ceases.
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.

You cease to have a big pile of cash in your account, and instead you have an income for life.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

“I will cease all work with this contact.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

“They were both warned to cease their comments directed towards one another between the two free throws,” Davis said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

Attacks on oilfields were reported in southern Iraq and in the northern autonomous Kurdistan region, which forced a US-run oilfield to cease production, while the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have started reducing output.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

My blood ran so cold, it seemed to cease pumping through me altogether.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

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.