LEAVE-TAKING Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

leave-taking

noun

ˈlēv-ˌtā-kiŋ

Definition of leave-taking

as in departure

the act of leaving a place the leave-taking of the guest of honor was scheduled for 11 o'clock

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in farewell

the act or process of two or more persons going off in different directions the sweethearts' leave-taking was filled with tearful pauses and promises to meet again

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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 leave-taking The study of leave-taking was assumed to be more complicated than the study of greetings. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026 Forest fires were lowering human birth weights, zoo chimpanzees in Kyoto enjoy virtual forests, and the chimpanzees of the Bossou community are formal in their greetings but unceremonious in their leave-taking. — Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Feb. 2022

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave-taking

Noun

Katseye’s departure from Daisy Chain Fields comes while the group, which debuted as a six-member group, remains down two singers.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Compared, say, with the 1990s here, the suite of departures to points near and far is formidable.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of departure

Noun

The song, famously written by Parton as an emotional farewell to her mentor Porter Wagoner and his show, topped the country chart in 1974.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
Roger Lewis, co-founder of the Grammy-award winning group Inner Circle said to cheers from the room and laughter from Mair during a final farewell on Monday at the group’s recording studio in the North Miami area.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of farewell

Browse Nearby Words

leaves (out)

leave-taking

leave-takings

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“Leave-taking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave-taking. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of leave-taking

noun

Example Sentences

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