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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Five of the facility’s California Food Handler cards had expired. — Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Perpetuals never expire, negating the need to roll contracts and depriving exchanges of a lucrative revenue stream. — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026 Regional caps expire While the regional caps were in effect, krill fishing ran the full year without ever hitting the trigger level. — Kim S. Bernard, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 The current regulations are set to expire at the end of the 2030 season, just as Max’s contract is expiring. — Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for expire

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expire

Verb

Jurin keeps working after the conversation ends—across phone, email, web chat and LINE, the messaging app used by the vast majority of Japan’s population—connecting plain language to the software that acts.

— Jurin AI Contributor, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
The senator expressed concerns about the effects if Arkansas tries to end Medicaid expansion altogether.

— Nathan Ansell, Arkansas Online, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of end

Verb

Choose the private repair that helps your nervous system finally exhale and reset your inner pace today.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026
Also called square breathing, this four-step method asks children to inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts and hold again for four counts.

— Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of exhale

Verb

The siblings inherited the Lakers through the Buss Family Trust after their father died in 2013, though their ties to the organization extended well beyond ownership.

— Law Murray, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Fedorov is right to say ideals should not die in warfare, or why else fight?

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of die

Verb

The team has appeared comfortable all offseason — after re-signing Singleton and Strnad in free agency and releasing fellow veteran Dre Greenlaw — relying on this young, developing cast to fill the depth positions.

— Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
The district has released a set of maps, outlining the potential changes.

— James Taylor, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of release

Verb

With the deal, John Malone’s Liberty Broadband ceased to be a direct shareholder in Charter and no longer designates directors for election to the Charter board.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026
According to Kopel, if Ability ceased operations, its intellectual property and responsibilities would return to the center.

— Shannon Cuthrell, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of cease

Verb

But the allegations involving his treatment of women led some of his GOP colleagues to at one point consider possibly expelling him from the House.

— Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Unless our work requires us to deal with it daily, our relationship with it ends the moment our bodies expel it in the blissful privacy of our bathrooms (or, if the need is dire, out in the open with only nature to keep us company).

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of expel

Verb

When night falls, another show begins with a dedicated corner of the estate designed for stargazing.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
Zinc ions enter the electrode first at higher voltages, while much smaller protons are stored later as the voltage falls.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of fall

Verb

Led by researchers at the University of Cambridge, the mission aims to detect the faint 21-centimeter radio line emitted by early hydrogen atoms operating at low frequencies (10–50 MHz), a signal never before directly observed.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026
The amount of neutrino energy absorbed by the companion star, however, would be only a tiny fraction of the amount of energy the star emits on its own, so again, this is likely to have little effect.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of emit

Browse Nearby Words

expirations

expire

expired

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Expire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expire. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of expire

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on expire

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

prowess

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes