EXPIRE Synonyms: 132 Similar and Opposite Words

expire

verb

ik-ˈspī(-ə)r

Definition of expire

as in to end

to come to an end speakers will not be allowed to continue after their allotted time has expired

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to exhale

to let or force out of the lungs he vows to hold on to that belief until he expires his last breath

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to die

to stop living made one last visit to his homeland and expired not long afterwards

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to release

archaic to throw or give off linden trees expiring their rich perfume

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 expire Delta will take over the lease for the Spirit gates until June 30, 2031, when Spirit’s lease was set to expire. — Kelly Yamanouchi, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The National Assembly closed after the last senators’ terms expired in 2023. — Widlore Mérancourt, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 Boaters who already have valid Mussel Fee Stickers do not have to pay the higher fee until their stickers expire, California State Parks confirmed Friday. — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The prototype was shelved when Kramer couldn't successfully market it, and his patent expired in 1988. — Eric Griffith, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expire

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expire

Verb

Letter writer second-guesses history of avoidant behavior after one phone argument ends a decades-long friendship.

— Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
In a shocking upset, a student movement resoundingly beat longtime Serbian leader President Aleksandar Vucic, ending his time in power after 14 years.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of end

Verb

From Huntsville to Jackson to Atlanta, early confidence gave way to anxious afternoons before teams gave their home crowds a reason to exhale.

— Wilton Jackson, AJC.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Jeff Dean / Getty Images When Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow fumbled late in the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh exhaled with a 30-27 win over a division rival.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of exhale

Verb

The latest figures, released in April and based mostly on 2024 data, actually reflect a slowdown from earlier jumps.

— Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
On October 24, 2006, Taylor Swift was released—the debut album by a 16-year-old with blonde curls, cowboy boots, and a special talent for turning heartbreak into hits.

— Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of release

Verb

After Epstein's 2019 arrest, federal prosecutors asked New Mexico to cease its own investigation of Epstein's activities in New Mexico.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
After dramatically reducing the number of children in hotels over the past three years, DHS ceased the practice entirely in November 2025.

— Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of cease

Verb

In response, the Republican majority expelled Pearson and Jones.

— Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Director Robert Eggers delivers a taut, terrifying period piece with this tale of a 17th-century New England family expelled from their village and stalked by a witch — a movie that also put the then-fledgling studio A24 on the map.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of expel

Verb

In most cases where the acquirer is en route to paying a price amounting to a humongous PE, the acquirer’s stock falls.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
The Orionid meteor shower creates one of the most brilliant displays in the night sky each fall — but this year’s celestial event may have a dimmer showing due to a bright moon.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of fall

Verb

Many of these materials are made from oil, which emits pollutants when burned, driving climate change and fueling extreme weather.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Conventional diamond quantum sensors measure fluorescent light that is emitted by these defects.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of emit

Browse Nearby Words

expirations

expire

expired

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Style

“Expire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expire. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of expire

verb

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