desist

Synonym Chooser

How is the word desist distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of desist are cease, discontinue, quit, and stop. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

When would cease be a good substitute for desist?

Although the words cease and desist have much in common, 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 it sensible to use discontinue instead of desist?

The meanings of discontinue and desist largely overlap; however, discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When might quit be a better fit than desist?

While the synonyms quit and desist are close in meaning, quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

When could stop be used to replace desist?

In some situations, the words stop and desist 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 desist In the study, Littman and colleagues interviewed 78 Americans who previously identified as transgender but desisted in that identity. Ian Kingsbury, National Review, 9 Jan. 2024 That Israel desist from the removal and resettlement of Palestine refugees in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967 and from the destruction of their shelters. Michelle Orange, Harper's Magazine, 12 Dec. 2023 Tonatiuh Guillén, a former head of Mexico’s immigration agency, said the new system could succeed in persuading migrants to desist from the trip to the U.S. border. Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 13 May 2023 The annual winter spike in pollution in Delhi and its neighborhood can be reduced if farmers of nearby states are paid to desist from burning farm stubble, a new study suggests. Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 6 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for desist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desist
Verb
  • The program ended in the early 1960s after a member of the CIA Inspector General's staff learned of MKUltra's experiments and ordered them to cease all experimentation on non-consenting subjects.
    Jessica Sager, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
  • On Thursday, the university, a historically Black institution, ordered the fraternity chapter to cease all activities and suspended pledging for all Greek organizations for the rest of the academic year.
    Neil Vigdor, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Since then, more than a dozen, mostly smaller Florida municipalities, including Winter Haven, Tavares, Longwood and Leesburg, have voted to discontinue adding fluoride to their water.
    Cindy Krischer Goodman, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Davis lost, but when write-in nominee Hal Mohr won for his cinematography in A Midsummer Night's Dream the following year, the practice was discontinued forever.
    Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • That hasn't stopped the Trump administration from making some bold claims.
    Joel Rose, NPR, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Don’t stop the agreement that has already brought dozens of hostages back to us.
    Ibrahim Dahman, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In the days following the press conference, Trump’s administration halted further U.S. aid to Ukraine and also ended intelligence sharing between Washington and Kyiv.
    David Axe, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
  • All live-fire exercises in the current drill were halted until the investigation to determine the exact reason for the accident was finished.
    Hakyung Kate Lee, ABC News, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Even though Love finished the race in a better position at sixth, the two weren't happy.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Paradise also finished 2-15 from beyond the arc, which Barnes said was uncharacteristic of the squad.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The elder of the duo then decides to terminate the experience and the program provides a serum that will kill Sue. Midway through injecting Sue with the serum, Elisabeth has second thoughts and attempts to revive her counterpart.
    Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Uncertainty is clearly the order of the day (Trump vs Zelenskyy, DOGE’s actions to terminate thousands of federal jobs, the imposition of tariffs beginning March 5th).
    Robert Barone, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Russian assaults are down from up to 60 per day to as few as 18, CDS concluded.
    David Axe, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The decision also suggests the court in at least some cases is prepared to stand behind trial judges who conclude the administration might be violating the law.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 6 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Desist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desist. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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