last 1 of 2

1
2
3

last

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective last contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of last are final, terminal, and ultimate. While all these words mean "following all others (as in time, order, or importance)," last applies to something that comes at the end of a series but does not always imply that the series is completed or stopped.

last page of a book
last news we had of him

When is it sensible to use final instead of last?

In some situations, the words final and last are roughly equivalent. However, final applies to that which definitely closes a series, process, or progress.

final day of school

When can terminal be used instead of last?

The synonyms terminal and last are sometimes interchangeable, but terminal may indicate a limit of extension, growth, or development.

terminal phase of a disease

When is ultimate a more appropriate choice than last?

While in some cases nearly identical to last, ultimate implies the last degree or stage of a long process beyond which further progress or change is impossible.

the ultimate collapse of the system

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 last
Adjective
Lacy had declared for the NFL Draft after leading LSU in touchdowns receiving with nine last season, but his draft stock plummeted following news of the fatal car wreck. Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025 Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has praised May for showing maturity in the way he’s started this season, and the pitcher agreed, pointing out how difficult his last few seasons were. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
Officials first broke ground on the site in 2023, but the project fell to a standstill amid lasting COVID-19 pandemic delays and parties’ struggle to finalize a development plan as the size and scope of the project continued to change. Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025 The Great Migration brought many Black American artists and thinkers to New York City, famously spurring the Harlem Renaissance, which lasted from the end of World War I through the 1920s. Johanna K. Taylor, The Conversation, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for last
Recent Examples of Synonyms for last
Adjective
  • These concerns appeared to strike a chord—at least in part—with U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken, who brought up the issue several times during this week’s fairness hearing over whether to grant the settlement’s final approval.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 11 Apr. 2025
  • And Kansas is among the basketball standout’s final four.
    Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health concur that there is conclusive evidence that alcohol causes several types of cancer.
    Pranoti Mandrekar, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Anecdotes from such sources are, of course, far from conclusive.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • About the only surprise Friday night in the championship game of the Boras Classic South was La Mirada preventing Corona from tying a state record for most consecutive shutouts.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Legal scholars have said there is little legal precedent for Trump's war on Big Law, which has created a chilling effect across the legal community, and most will certainly have a chilling effect on his opponents who will need legal representation against him.
    Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • And seriously, shouldn't surviving that nightmare initial Vula tribe designation be worth a cool million bucks?
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The attorneys also debated what cell phone activity from Mortensen and the other surviving roommate, Bethany Funke, in the hours around the murders should come in at trial.
    Jean Casarez, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The White House visit is a significant achievement for Bukele, whose authoritarian tactics to remain in power were condemned by the Biden administration just a few years ago.
    David Catanese, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
  • That means such products imported from China will apparently not be subjected to the 125% tariff U.S. President Donald Trump slapped on Beijing (a 20% tariff will remain).
    Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The video is the latest in a lengthy stream of controversies the probation department has faced in recent years.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2023
  • The shooting happened the day before the fifth anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting that killed 17 and is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the U.S.
    Joey Cappelletti and Mike Householder, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Feb. 2023
Adjective
  • That’s exactly what WWE fans got inside Allegiant Stadium, with a short but sweet bout that ended in decisive fashion when Cargill demolished Naomi with a massive Jaded finisher.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
  • And, in fact, Democrats are winning special elections month after month after month, including most recently a decisive one in Wisconsin earlier this month for the state Supreme Court.
    Isabel Danzis, ABC News, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • That was the prevailing sentiment publicly in 2017, when the allegations came out.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Cool heads almost always prevail.
    Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Last.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/last. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on last

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!