conclusion
Other forms: conclusions
A conclusion is the last part of something, its end or result. When you write a paper, you always end by summing up your arguments and drawing a conclusion about what you've been writing about.
The phrase in conclusion means "finally, to sum up," and is used to introduce some final comments at the end of a speech or piece of writing. The phrase jump to conclusions means "to come to a judgment without enough evidence." A foregone conclusion is an outcome that seems certain.
Definitions of conclusion
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a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration“his conclusion took the evidence into account”
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synonyms:
decision, determination, verdict
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types:
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predetermination
a mental determination or resolve in advance; an antecedent intention to do something
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predetermination
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the proposition arrived at by logical reasoning (such as the proposition that must follow from the major and minor premises of a syllogism)
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synonyms:
ratiocination
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type of:
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proposition
(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false
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proposition
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an intuitive assumption“jump to a conclusion”
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types:
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non sequitur
(logic) a conclusion that does not follow from the premises
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type of:
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assumption, supposal, supposition
a hypothesis that is taken for granted
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non sequitur
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the act of making up your mind about something“he drew his conclusions quickly”
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synonyms:
decision, determination
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types:
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appointment, assignment, designation, naming
the act of putting a person into a non-elective position
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call
(sports) the decision made by an umpire or referee
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move
the act of deciding to do something
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casting lots, drawing lots, sortition
making a chance decision by using lots (straws or pebbles etc.) that are thrown or drawn
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resolution
a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner
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nomination
the act of officially naming a candidate
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co-optation, co-option
the act of appointing summarily (with or without the appointee's consent)
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delegacy
the appointment of a delegate
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ordinance, ordination
the act of ordaining; the act of conferring (or receiving) holy orders
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recognition
designation by the chair granting a person the right to speak in a deliberative body
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demarche
a move or step or maneuver in political or diplomatic affairs
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maneuver, manoeuvre, tactical maneuver, tactical manoeuvre
a move made to gain a tactical end
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the temporal end; the concluding time
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the act of ending something
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synonyms:
ending, termination
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types:
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abort
the act of terminating a project or procedure before it is completed
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demonetisation, demonetization
ending something (e.g. gold or silver) as no longer the legal tender of a country
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release, tone ending
(music) the act or manner of terminating a musical phrase or tone
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closing, completion, culmination, mop up, windup
a concluding action
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retirement
withdrawal from your position or occupation
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relinquishing, relinquishment
the act of giving up and abandoning a struggle or task etc.
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breakup, dissolution
the termination or disintegration of a relationship (between persons or nations)
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overthrow
the termination of a ruler or institution (especially by force)
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adjournment, dissolution
the termination of a meeting
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discharge, dismissal, dismission, firing, liberation, release, sack, sacking
the termination of someone's employment (leaving them free to depart)
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destruction, devastation
the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
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kill, killing, putting to death
the act of terminating a life
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abolishment, abolition
the act of abolishing a system or practice or institution (especially abolishing slavery)
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liquidation, settlement
termination of a business operation by using its assets to discharge its liabilities
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drug withdrawal, withdrawal
the termination of drug taking
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closedown, closing, closure, shutdown
termination of operations
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extinction, extinguishing, quenching
the act of extinguishing; causing to stop burning
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disappearance, fade
gradually ceasing to be visible
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abortion
termination of pregnancy
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deactivation, defusing
the act of deactivating or making ineffective (as a bomb)
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discontinuance, discontinuation
the act of discontinuing or breaking off; an interruption (temporary or permanent)
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consummation
the act of bringing to completion or fruition
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consummation
the completion of marriage by sexual intercourse
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superannuation
the act of discharging someone because of age (especially to cause someone to retire from service on a pension)
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finish, finishing
the act of finishing
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finalisation, finalization
the act of finalizing
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follow-through
carrying some project or intention to full completion
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follow-through
the act of carrying a stroke to its natural completion
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graduation
the successful completion of a program of study
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hibernation
the act of retiring into inactivity
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rustication
the action of retiring to and living in the country
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ceding, cession
the act of ceding
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handover
act of relinquishing property or authority etc
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discharge, release, waiver
a formal written statement of relinquishment
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splitsville
separation or breakup or divorce
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subversion, subversive activity
the act of subverting; as overthrowing or destroying a legally constituted government
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conge, congee
an abrupt and unceremonious dismissal
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removal
dismissal from office
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disaster
an act that has disastrous consequences
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kill
the destruction of an enemy plane or ship or tank or missile
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laying waste, ruin, ruination, ruining, wrecking
destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined
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demolishing, leveling, razing, tearing down
complete destruction of a building
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annihilation, obliteration
destruction by annihilating something
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decimation
the destruction or killing of a large part of the population (literally every tenth person as chosen by lot)
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coup de grace, deathblow
the blow that kills (usually mercifully)
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death
the act of killing
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euthanasia, mercy killing
the act of killing someone painlessly (especially someone suffering from an incurable illness)
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homicide
the killing of a human being by another human being
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despatch, dispatch
killing a person or animal
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fell
the act of felling something (as a tree)
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self-annihilation, self-destruction, suicide
the act of killing yourself
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self-destruction
the act of destroying yourself
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slaughter
the killing of animals (as for food)
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poisoning
the act of giving poison to a person or animal with the intent to kill
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asphyxiation, suffocation
killing by depriving of oxygen
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ritual killing, sacrifice
the act of killing (an animal or person) in order to propitiate a deity
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electrocution
killing by electric shock
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beheading, decapitation
killing by cutting off the head
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viatical settlement, viaticus settlement
sale of an insurance policy by a terminally ill policy holder
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cold turkey
complete and abrupt withdrawal of all addictive drugs or anything else on which you have become dependent
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plant closing
act of shutting down operation of a plant
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bank closing
act of closing down a bank because of a fiscal emergency or failure
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layoff
the act of laying off an employee or a work force
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miscarriage, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth
a natural loss of the products of conception
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induced abortion
a deliberate termination of pregnancy
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deactivation, inactivation
breaking up a military unit (by transfers or discharges)
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honorable discharge
a discharge from the armed forces with a commendable record
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dishonorable discharge
a discharge from the armed forces for a grave offense (as sabotage or espionage or cowardice or murder)
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Section Eight
a discharge from the US Army based on unfitness or character traits deemed undesirable
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neutralisation, neutralization
(euphemism) the removal of a threat by killing or destroying it (especially in a covert operation or military operation)
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disfranchisement
the discontinuation of rights; especially the discontinuation of the right to vote
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disinheritance
the act by a donor that terminates the right of a person to inherit
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phase-out
the act or instance of a planned discontinuation
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prorogation
discontinuation of the meeting (of a legislative body) without dissolving it
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annulment, invalidation
(law) a formal termination (of a relationship or a judicial proceeding etc)
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sabotage
a deliberate act of destruction or disruption in which equipment is damaged
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extermination, liquidation
the act of exterminating
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genocide, race murder, racial extermination
systematic killing of a racial or cultural group
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holocaust
an act of mass destruction and loss of life (especially in war or by fire)
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demolition
the act of demolishing
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spoliation
(law) the intentional destruction of a document or an alteration of it that destroys its value as evidence
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hooliganism, malicious mischief, vandalism
willful wanton and malicious destruction of the property of others
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dismount
the act of dismounting (a horse or bike etc.)
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explosion, plosion
the terminal forced release of pressure built up during the occlusive phase of a stop consonant
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type of:
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change of state
the act of changing something into something different in essential characteristics
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event whose occurrence ends something
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Antonyms:
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beginning
the event consisting of the start of something
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types:
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end, final stage, last
the concluding parts of an event or occurrence
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final result, outcome, result, resultant, termination
something that results
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foregone conclusion, matter of course
an inevitable ending
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demolition, destruction, wipeout
an event (or the result of an event) that completely destroys something
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Z, omega
the ending of a series or sequence
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halt, kibosh, stop
the event of something ending
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triumph, victory
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
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defeat, licking
an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
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end game, endgame
the final stages of a chess game after most of the pieces have been removed from the board
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end game, endgame
the final stages of an extended process of negotiation
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homestretch
the end of an enterprise
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passing
the end of something
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denouement
the outcome of a complex sequence of events
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deal
the type of treatment received (especially as the result of an agreement)
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decision
the outcome of a game or contest
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decision
(boxing) a victory won on points when no knockout has occurred
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aftermath, consequence
the outcome of an event especially as relative to an individual
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just deserts, poetic justice
an outcome in which virtue triumphs over vice (often ironically)
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separation
the termination of employment (by resignation or dismissal)
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sequel, subsequence
something that follows something else
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worst
the least favorable outcome
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annihilation, disintegration
total destruction
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eradication, obliteration
the complete destruction of every trace of something
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depredation, ravage
(usually plural) a destructive action
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razing, wrecking
the event of a structure being completely demolished and leveled
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ruin, ruination
an event that results in destruction
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rack, wrack
the destruction or collapse of something
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win
a victory (as in a race or other competition)
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cessation, surcease
a stopping
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stand, standstill, tie-up
an interruption of normal activity
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fall, pin
when a wrestler's shoulders are forced to the mat
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independence
the successful ending of the American Revolution
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landslide
an overwhelming electoral victory
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last laugh
ultimate success achieved after a near failure (inspired by the saying `he laughs best who laughs last')
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Pyrrhic victory
a victory that is won by incurring terrible losses
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slam, sweep
winning all or all but one of the tricks in bridge
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checkmate
complete victory
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blowout, laugher, romp, runaway, shoo-in, walkaway
an easy victory
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service break
a tennis game won on the opponent's service
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walk-in, waltz
an assured victory (especially in an election)
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heartbreaker
a narrow defeat or a defeat at the last minute
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lurch
a decisive defeat in a game (especially in cribbage)
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rout
an overwhelming defeat
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shutout, skunk
a defeat in a game where one side fails to score
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debacle, drubbing, slaughter, thrashing, trouncing, walloping, whipping
a sound defeat
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waterloo
a final crushing defeat
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whitewash
a defeat in which the losing person or team fails to score
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type of:
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happening, natural event, occurrence, occurrent
an event that happens
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beginning
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a final settlement“the conclusion of a business deal”“the conclusion of the peace treaty”
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type of:
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settlement
a conclusive resolution of a matter and disposition of it
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settlement
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the last section of a communication“in conclusion I want to say...”
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types:
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anticlimax, bathos
a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one
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afterword, epilog, epilogue
a short section added at the end of a literary work
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epilog, epilogue
a short speech (often in verse) addressed directly to the audience by an actor at the end of a play
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peroration
(rhetoric) the concluding section of an oration
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coda, finale
the closing section of a musical composition
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type of:
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section, subdivision
a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)
Pronunciation
US
/kənˈkluʒən/
UK
/kənˈkluʒən/
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