end

noun \ ˈend \

Updated on: 7 Dec 2017

Definition of end

1 a : the part of an area that lies at the boundary

b (1) : a point that marks the extent of something

(2) : the point where something ceases to exist

world without end

c : the extreme or last part lengthwise : tip

d : the terminal unit of something spatial that is marked off by units

e : a player stationed at the extremity of a line or team (as in football)

2 a : cessation of a course of action, pursuit, or activity

b : death, destruction

c (1) : the ultimate state

(2) : result, issue

3 : something incomplete, fragmentary, or undersized : remnant

4 a : an outcome worked toward : purpose

the end of poetry is to be poetry
—R. P. Warren

b : the object by virtue of or for the sake of which an event takes place

5 a : a share in an undertaking

kept your end up

b : a particular operation or aspect of an undertaking or organization

the sales end of the business

6 : something that is extreme : ultimate —used with the

7 : a period of action or turn in any of various sports events (such as archery or lawn bowling)

—

ended

play \ˈen-dəd\ adjective

— in the end

: after all, ultimately

will surely succeed in the end

— no end

: exceedingly

it pleases us no end

— on end

: without a stop or letup

it rained for days on end

See end defined for English-language learners

See end defined for kids

Examples of end in a Sentence

The report is due at the end of the month.
She interviewed several players at the end of the game.
The restaurant is in the north end of the city.
We biked from one end of the island to the other.
The house is at the end of the road.
They live at opposite ends of town.
the deep end of a swimming pool
She drove the end of the stake into the ground.
The car's front end was damaged.
One end of the rope was tangled.

Recent Examples of end from the Web

Andrean filled the south end of the arena with family members, younger players and community members.

— robby general, Post-Tribune, "Dal Santo sisters spark Andrean past Christian Academy for first state title," 4 Nov. 2017
Contenders: At least eight Democrats are challenging Faso, including two who raised more than $1 million through the end of September.

— gregory giroux, Bloomberg.com, "Six Seats the Democrats Are Fighting For to Help Flip the House," 3 Nov. 2017
The popular Park & Ride on state Route 76 just west of Interstate 15 reopened Wednesday — nearly doubling the available parking spaces and marking the end of a huge, multi-decade highway construction project.

— j. harry jones, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Route 76 Park & Ride reopens at I-15," 1 Nov. 2017
But that didn’t stop much of the media — and in particular the cable-news channels — from characterizing Monday’s news as the beginning of the end for Trump.

— jonathan s. tobin, National Review, "The Politics of Assumption," 1 Nov. 2017
But when Karpf asks Flair near the end of it whether anything was left unsaid between him and his late son, Flair barely able to form the words as his voice breaks and his green eyes well with tears.

— théoden janes, charlotteobserver, "Exclusive with Ric Flair and ‘Nature Boy’ director: Sex, lies and ... some sobering truths?," 31 Oct. 2017
The pressure ensures that the ends of the fish won’t curl up, another reason for uneven cooking.

— alex delany, Bon Appetit, "How to Pan Sear Salmon Perfectly, Because You're Worth It," 30 Oct. 2017
The real zinger, though, came towards the end of this decade-long interaction.

— kenzie bryant, vanityfair.com, "Donald Trump Congratulates Trick Or Treaters for Not Having "Weight Problems"," 27 Oct. 2017
Near the end of his term, Mallory devised Focus 52, a plan to target investment in all neighborhoods, funded with $3 million in casino revenues.

— mark wert, Cincinnati.com, "East Side pummels West Side in Cincinnati incentive money," 27 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'end.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of end

Middle English ende, from Old English; akin to Old High German enti end, Latin ante before, Greek anti against

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

end Synonyms

Synonyms

arrest, arrestment, cease, cessation, check, close, closedown, closure, conclusion, cutoff, discontinuance, discontinuation, ending, expiration, finish, halt, lapse, offset, shutdown, shutoff, stay, stop, stoppage, surcease, termination

Antonyms

continuance, continuation

Related Words

mop-up, phaseout; abeyance, break, interruption, layoff, letup, moratorium, pause, standstill, suspension

Near Antonyms

extension, persistence, prolongation

Synonym Discussion of end

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal mean what one intends to accomplish or attain. intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about.

- announced his intention to marry

intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness.

- the clear intent of the statute

purpose suggests a more settled determination.

- being successful was her purpose in life

design implies a more carefully calculated plan.

- the order of events came by accident, not design

aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing.

- her aim was to raise film to an art form

end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such.

- willing to use any means to achieve his end

object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need.

- his constant object was the achievement of pleasure

objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable.

- their objective is to seize the oil fields

goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship.

- worked years to reach her goals

end

verb

Definition of end

transitive verb

1 a : to bring to an end

b : destroy

2 : to make up the end of

a wedding scene ends the film

intransitive verb

1 a : to come to an end

the meeting will end at noon

b : to reach a specified ultimate rank, situation, or place —usually used with up

ended up as a colonel

2 : die

Recent Examples of end from the Web

Impoverished villages sometimes end up with dozens of foreign wives, as word spreads of their availability.

— The Economist, "Bridal pathsDemand for wives in China endangers women who live on its borders," 4 Nov. 2017
LaPorte, which entered rushing for more than 400 yards a game, ended up with 151 yards on the ground but managed just 38 yards rushing on 26 carries in the first half.

— mike hutton, Post-Tribune, "Michigan City turns up the defense to top LaPorte for first sectional title," 3 Nov. 2017
Jones has interpreted that comment to mean that Moore favors ending Medicaid and Medicare as well as child health insurance programs (CHIP).

— paul gattis, AL.com, "Doug Jones on Obamacare: 'Repeal and replace is a political slogan'," 5 Nov. 2017
Then the king abruptly decreed that women would be allowed to drive next year, ending a decades-long ban.

— The Economist, "Saudi Arabia’s unprecedented shake-up," 5 Nov. 2017
Especially in the first half of fall, sunshine can seem never-ending.

— ian livingston, Washington Post, "D.C.-area forecast: Rain odds are up today and into tonight, with somewhat better weather for Sunday," 4 Nov. 2017
Five things to know about Sprint’s future A federal ban on merger talks in the telecom industry ended late in April which might mean a merger between Sprint and T-Mobile.

— mark davis, max londberg and lynn horsley, kansascity, "Sprint drops T-Mobile merger, easing employee worries but raising doubts about future," 4 Nov. 2017
And after the war ended, the evolution of concentration camps took another grim turn.

— andrea pitzer, Smithsonian, "Concentration Camps Existed Long Before Auschwitz," 3 Nov. 2017
Ballard said none of the doctors Luck has seen indicated his issue is career-ending.

— profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Surgery best option for Colts, Luck?," 2 Nov. 2017

First Known Use of end

before 12th century

Synonym Discussion of end

close, end, conclude, finish, complete, terminate mean to bring or come to a stopping point or limit. close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.

- close a debate

end conveys a strong sense of finality.

- ended his life

conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).

- the service concluded with a blessing

finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.

- after it is painted, the house will be finished

complete implies the removal of all deficiencies or a successful finishing of what has been undertaken.

- the resolving of this last issue completes the agreement

terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space.

- your employment terminates after three months

end

adjective

Definition of end

: final, ultimate

end results

end markets

See end defined for English-language learners

Examples of end in a Sentence

the end product of a process
the end point of the operation

Recent Examples of end from the Web

Friends End-of-Summer Warehouse Sale, 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Friends of the Public Library Warehouse, 8456 Vine St., Hartwell.

— rasputin todd, Cincinnati.com, "Things to do this week: Aug. 15-20," 15 Aug. 2017
About 15 minutes later, deputies say Simon’s car was captured on surveillance video driving to a dead end street near where East’s body was found.

— david harris, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Woman shot to death over drug debt, dumped in woods in Orange County, deputies say," 7 Aug. 2017
Some South End residents in Hartford are being evacuated because of a gas leak, a fire official said.

— christine dempsey, courant.com, "Gas Leak Forces Evacuation In South End Of Hartford, Fire Official Says," 28 July 2017
Both artists share their end goal of onstage catharsis.

— eve barlow, Billboard, "FYF Festival 2017: Missy Elliott Brings the Bling, Bjork Delivers Flawless Set," 22 July 2017
Harper, now lieutenant over the River Patrol, oversaw dozens of officers in the division, which encompasses most West End neighborhoods, including Algonquin, California, Chickasaw, Park Duvalle, Parkland and Shawnee.

— matthew glowicki, The Courier-Journal, "Whistleblower suit: Ousted Louisville Metro Police major demoted as retaliation," 19 June 2017
More than 63,000 Californians receive hemodialysis, which filters impurities from the blood of those with end-stage kidney disease.

— anna gorman, Kaiser Health News, "California Bill Addresses Safety Concerns At Dialysis Clinics," 19 May 2017
The error occurred around Mile 12, course officials later explained, when a course marshal directed runners to turn down a dead end street in Kennebunk, Maine.

— marissa payne, chicagotribune.com, "Would-be Boston Marathon runners miss qualification after error adds half-mile to race," 17 May 2017

First Known Use of end

13th century

end

verb

Definition of end

transitive verb

dialectal, England

: to put (grain or hay) into a barn or stack

Recent Examples of end from the Web

Reed ended up signing with the Clippers for the league minimum for a player with his experience ($1.5 million) on July 18.

— manny navarro, miamiherald, "Waiters misses game for birth of his daughter, plus a Willie Reed reunion | Miami Herald," 5 Nov. 2017
In the girls meet, Bishop Brossart ended St. Henry’s six-year reign as the team champion.

— steve bittenbender, The Courier-Journal, "Led by Keeton Thornsberry, Holy Cross captures first Class A state cross country title," 4 Nov. 2017
Despite the injury, Chacon still ended up leading Crown Point (35-4) in kills against Avon (37-3) with six.

— robby general, Post-Tribune, "Arizona State recruit Morgan Chacon injured as Crown Point falls in state final," 4 Nov. 2017
Thousands of people with flood damage from Sandy ended up disputing the government’s handling of their claims.

— mary williams walsh, New York Times, "A Broke, and Broken, Flood Insurance Program," 4 Nov. 2017
After Russia attacked America, Americans ended up attacking each other (see article).

— The Economist, "Do social media threaten democracy?," 4 Nov. 2017
Berlin’s Bill | Brexit could end up costing Germany an extra 5 billion euros in EU budget contributions, according to the newspaper Bild.

— ian wishart, Bloomberg.com, "Brexit Bulletin: What’s Changed in 10 Years," 3 Nov. 2017
However, when the war ended, there was nowhere else for black families to move.

— christina capatides, CBS News, "How Oregon's second-largest city disappeared in less than an hour," 3 Nov. 2017
The Boer War ended in 1902, but camps soon appeared elsewhere.

— andrea pitzer, Smithsonian, "Concentration Camps Existed Long Before Auschwitz," 3 Nov. 2017

Origin and Etymology of end

probably alteration of English dialect in to harvest

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1607

See Words from the same year

Other Agriculture/Gardening Terms

fallow, graft, heirloom, loam, potash, soilage, swath, tilth, windfall

end-

combining form

variants: or endo-

Definition of end-

1 : within : inside

endoskeleton

— compare ect-, exo-

2 : taking in

endothermic

Origin and Etymology of end-

French, from Greek, from endon within; akin to Greek en in, Old Latin indu, Hittite andan within — more at in

END Defined for English Language Learners

end

noun

Definition of end for English Language Learners

: a point that marks the limit of something : the point at which something no longer continues to happen or exist
: the last part of a story, movie, song, etc.
: the part at the edge or limit of an area

END Defined for Kids

end

noun \ ˈend \

Definition of end for Students

1 : the part near the boundary of an area

I live in the city's north end.

2 : the point where something stops or ceases to exist

That's the end of the story.

3 : the first or last part of a thing

She knotted the end of the rope.

4 : death 1, destruction

“You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter …”
—J. K. Rowling, Chamber of Secrets

5 : purpose, goal

6 : a player in football positioned at the end of the line of scrimmage

7 : a part of an undertaking

He kept his end of the agreement.

end

verb

Definition of end for Students

ended; ending

: to bring or come to an end : stop, finish

I wish vacation would never end.

He ended the discussion.

— end up

: to reach or come to a place, condition, or situation unexpectedly

“… unless you make a deal with his dad, you're going to end up with nothing …”
—Andrew Clements, Frindle

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Definition of end

ended

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end Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

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Synonym Discussion of end

end

Definition of end

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First Known Use of end

Synonym Discussion of end

end

Definition of end

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First Known Use of end

end

Definition of end

Recent Examples of end from the Web

Origin and Etymology of end

Other Agriculture/Gardening Terms

end-

Definition of end-

Origin and Etymology of end-

END Defined for English Language Learners

end

Definition of end for English Language Learners

END Defined for Kids

end

Definition of end for Students

end

Definition of end for Students

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