discontinue
Americanverb (used with object)
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discontinues,
present (3rd person singular)
-
discontinued,
past participle, past
-
discontinuing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
discontinues,
present (3rd person singular)
-
discontinued,
past participle, past
-
discontinuing
present participle
verb
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to come or bring to an end; interrupt or be interrupted; stop
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(tr) law to terminate or abandon (an action, suit, etc)
Synonym Usage
See interrupt.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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discontinuesimple
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discontinuessimple
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have discontinuedperfect
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has discontinuedperfect
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am discontinuingprogressive
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are discontinuingprogressive
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is discontinuingprogressive
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have been discontinuingperfect progressive
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has been discontinuingperfect progressive
Past
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discontinuedsimple
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had discontinuedperfect
-
was discontinuingprogressive
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were discontinuingprogressive
-
had been discontinuingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of discontinue
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Anglo-French discontinuer, from Medieval Latin discontinuāre. See dis- 1, continue
Explanation
To discontinue something is to stop it. If you've grown bored with the magazine you get in the mail every month, you can discontinue your subscription. You discontinue things that you want to quit doing or otherwise want to bring to an end. A company also might discontinue a product, or stop making it — you'll be sad if a candy maker discontinues your favorite jelly beans. The word discontinue combines dis-, or "not," with continue, which comes from the Latin continuare, "join together, connect, or make continuous."
Vocabulary lists containing discontinue
The Search Is Over: Synonyms for "Stop"
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for January 7–January 13, 2023
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"Be Prepared" by Vera Brosgol
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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.
See Examples For:
"Anyone who notices hair shedding, an itchy or red scalp or nail changes should mention it to their doctor rather than discontinue therapy."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
She also cited her life experience as the daughter of immigrants, a single mother and a widow who was faced with the decision of whether to discontinue life support for her husband.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
During the 2015 Fifa scandal, Sony, Emirates, Castrol, Continental Tyres and Johnson & Johnson were among the companies to discontinue their huge sponsorship deals.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
As a result, the company decided to discontinue further development of camlipixant in refractory chronic cough, it added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
In fact, I had been wondering for some time if we should not discontinue these meetings, given how they prolong our already very busy days.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Ford Motor on Monday said it would take a $19.5 billion charge as it refocuses on hybrids, slashes its electric-vehicle investments and discontinues the electric F-150 pickup truck.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 15, 2025
What will I do if Nikko discontinues that wonderful William Morris design before I commit to it?
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 5, 2023
Sometimes, when a company discontinues a beloved food, fans take to the social media streets, lamenting the loss or even petitioning the cruel corporate gods for its return.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 13, 2023
It’s not dissimilar to when a makeup line discontinues a color but at a much higher cost.
From The Verge ● Mar. 10, 2022
Parvati immediately discontinues her religious asceticism; for "successful effort regenerates."
From Translations of Shakuntala and Other Works by Kalidasa
The original Roadster hit roads in 2008 and was discontinued in 2012.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Earlier this year, Tesla discontinued the Model S and Model X vehicles.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
More than 39,000 people arrived under the Afghan Resettlement Programme and in July 2025 the government confirmed the schemes were either closed to new applicants or discontinued.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
By contrast, people who discontinued GLP-1 therapy before reaching 18 months showed no significant reduction in cardiovascular risk compared with those taking sulfonylureas by the end of the study.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
She wraps her arm around my shoulder and leads me to the next aisle, where they keep the discontinued models.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Microsoft has since softened its approach, dialing back the branding of some AI tools and even discontinuing free, built-in Copilot access in certain Office applications.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
The company is overhauling operations, discontinuing games, closing studios, and cutting jobs to restore profitability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Another frustrated user described the Kindle as "probably one of the most low-tech devices ever made" and queried why Amazon was discontinuing its support for it.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
In one of the largest real-world studies so far to examine long-term outcomes after discontinuing GLP-1 therapies, researchers found that a significant number of patients were able to maintain stable weight over a year.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 19, 2026
But the counselor has told me that he feels that Andy is adjusting quite well to the situation, and we will be discontinuing those sessions on a regular basis.
From "Tears of a Tiger" by Sharon M. Draper
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
