quit 1 of 2

1
as in to leave
to give up (a job or office) he decided to quit his job at the fast-food restaurant

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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5
as in to succumb
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) tried to persuade his daughter to remain at home, but eventually he just quit and let her go out on her own

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in to pay
to give what is owed for eager to quit all debts before starting married life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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quit

2 of 2

adjective

as in free
no longer burdened with something unpleasant or painful I am finally quit of that terrible task

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word quit distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of quit are cease, desist, discontinue, and stop. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

When is it sensible to use cease instead of quit?

The words cease and quit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When is desist a more appropriate choice than quit?

While the synonyms desist and quit are close in meaning, desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

When would discontinue be a good substitute for quit?

While in some cases nearly identical to quit, discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When could stop be used to replace quit?

In some situations, the words stop and quit are roughly equivalent. However, stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.

stopped at the red light

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quit
Verb
This season, De Zerbi (in his own, on-brand fashion) randomly threatened to quit. Phil Hay, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025 Talks are ongoing between the U.S. and teams from Kyiv and Moscow, but Washington threatened last week to quit negotiations if there was no imminent signs of compromise. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 29 Apr. 2025 Continue reading … 'RIGHT FOR THE AUDIENCE' – '60 Minutes' calls out corporate owner Paramount on the air, says producer who quit felt interfered with. FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2025 Duddy and Levis began dating in 2021, but have since called their relationship quits. Skyler Caruso, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quit
Verb
  • Kelvin’s sexuality is accepted with an ease that may be surprising for a group of red state evangelicals, but leaves every Gemstone child in a happy, healthy, stable relationship.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 5 May 2025
  • They are expected to receive $86 million more in the coming years — potentially leaving more than half of the state's uncapped wells more vulnerable to incidents like the current spill in Garden Island Bay.
    Dan Ruetenik, CBS News, 5 May 2025
Verb
  • Republicans who fall for this scheme are abandoning any pretense of free-market principles.
    Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
  • No penalty for going pro early, but some kind of penalty for abandoning your team for another.
    Jim Root, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • Commentary: Is Trump's plan for tariff relief for automakers too late to stop global impact?
    Susan Page, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • At school the next day, he was treated as an art piece, in which his classmates stopped and stared.
    Akili King, Essence, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Firefighter Hoffman, succumbed to his injuries in the intensive care unit.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Day 3, morning: A nation on edge, a family at ease The Sanders family never succumbed to negativity in the public throughout the historic slide and cruel prank.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But without a new agreement, it would be forced to cease operations and lay off 58 workers at the Vacaville site.
    Annika Merrilees, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2025
  • India ordered its citizens to return from Pakistan and closed a vital border crossing following the attack, while Pakistan ceased trade with its neighbor and returned Indian diplomats.
    Dan Gooding Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025
Verb
  • Filers earning more than $100,000 per year pay 85% of the income tax, while those under $100,000, representing 72% of filers, pay the remaining 15%, according to the statistics.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2025
  • In the next bracket up, 24%, most couples are also paying a 3.8% investment tax, for a combined federal rate of 27.8%.
    William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The plane departed from William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster and was heading to Camarillo Airport, according to the FAA.
    Tristan Maglunog, ABC News, 3 May 2025
  • The trade had seemed to improve those dynamics, with 32-year-old Davis departing and Dončić — the 26-year-old who is represented by Bill Duffy of WME Sports — coming to town.
    Jovan Buha, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • Several viewers have shared their own opinions on what the goldendoodle's decision to stay downstairs with the man means, while others have expressed how similarly their own pets behave, or poked fun at the viral moment, causing joy among viewers.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
  • The new infotainment human-machine interface was a little confusing at first; pairing my phone took about 10 minutes but worked out in the end, and wireless Apple CarPlay behaved itself throughout the week.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Quit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quit. Accessed 12 May. 2025.

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