When it comes to saying goodbye, wrapping things up, or bringing something to a close, how we express endings matters just as much as the ending itself. Whether you’re leaving a job, closing a chapter, or even ending a conversation, it’s helpful to have empathetic, expressive idioms at your fingertips.
This article is a heartfelt guide for those looking to communicate endings with warmth and intention. I’ve drawn from personal experiences as a writer and communicator, where finding the right words made all the difference—especially during sensitive transitions.
Let’s explore 25 thoughtful idioms that can help you express endings with grace, clarity, and emotional intelligence.
1. Draw the curtain
Meaning: To bring something to an end.
Used in a sentence: After years of performing, she decided to draw the curtain on her acting career.
Best use: When ending a long-standing project or journey.
Other ways to say: Wrap it up, bring it to a close, call it a day.
2. Call it a day
Meaning: To stop working on something, usually after enough has been done.
Used in a sentence: We’ve made great progress today—let’s call it a day.
Best use: Ideal in professional settings or team collaborations.
Other ways to say: End the task, wrap things up, sign off.
3. Close the book on
Meaning: To bring a chapter or event to an official end.
Used in a sentence: It’s time to close the book on this difficult chapter and move forward.
Best use: Personal growth, healing, or career changes.
Other ways to say: Move on, finish off, put it behind you.
4. Put a lid on
Meaning: To stop or finalize something.
Used in a sentence: Let’s put a lid on this debate and move on to the next topic.
Best use: Conversations, meetings, or arguments.
Other ways to say: End it, seal it, shut it down.
5. Break ties
Meaning: To end a relationship or association.
Used in a sentence: She decided to break ties with the organization due to differing values.
Best use: Relationships or professional separations.
Other ways to say: Cut ties, part ways, sever the connection.
6. Shut the door on
Meaning: To leave no possibility of returning.
Used in a sentence: He shut the door on his past and focused on the future.
Best use: Emotional closure or life transitions.
Other ways to say: Leave behind, move forward, finalize.
7. Kick the bucket
Meaning: A euphemism for dying.
Used in a sentence: He always said he wanted to see the world before kicking the bucket.
Best use: Thoughtful or light-hearted discussions about life’s end.
Other ways to say: Pass on, rest in peace, breathe one’s last.
8. End on a high note
Meaning: To finish something successfully or positively.
Used in a sentence: They chose to end the show on a high note.
Best use: Events, performances, or careers.
Other ways to say: Go out with a bang, finish strong, sign off proudly.
9. Hang up your boots
Meaning: To retire or quit something.
Used in a sentence: After three decades of service, he hung up his boots.
Best use: Retirement or leaving a long-term role.
Other ways to say: Step down, bow out, call it quits.
10. Turn the page
Meaning: To move forward from a past situation.
Used in a sentence: She turned the page after the breakup and focused on self-growth.
Best use: Emotional recovery, personal reinvention.
Other ways to say: Move on, start anew, embrace change.
11. Lay to rest
Meaning: To bury or put something behind emotionally.
Used in a sentence: It’s time to lay those old arguments to rest.
Best use: Resolving conflict or grief.
Other ways to say: Bury the past, put to bed, move beyond.
12. Draw a line under
Meaning: To mark the end of something and not revisit it.
Used in a sentence: Let’s draw a line under last year’s mistakes and look forward.
Best use: Business setbacks or personal growth.
Other ways to say: Leave behind, shut the door on, call it quits.
13. Pull the plug
Meaning: To stop something that was ongoing.
Used in a sentence: They pulled the plug on the project due to budget cuts.
Best use: Project terminations or abrupt endings.
Other ways to say: Cancel, shut down, discontinue.
14. Throw in the towel
Meaning: To admit defeat and stop trying.
Used in a sentence: He finally threw in the towel after multiple attempts.
Best use: Competitive scenarios or repeated failure.
Other ways to say: Give up, surrender, back down.
15. Break it off
Meaning: To end a relationship.
Used in a sentence: They decided to break it off mutually and stay friends.
Best use: Romantic or emotional partings.
Other ways to say: Call it off, split up, separate.
16. Say your goodbyes
Meaning: To bid farewell, often with emotion.
Used in a sentence: She said her goodbyes and walked away peacefully.
Best use: Sentimental departures or final farewells.
Other ways to say: Take your leave, bid adieu, part ways.
17. Out with the old, in with the new
Meaning: To end something and welcome change.
Used in a sentence: It’s out with the old, in with the new as we revamp the brand.
Best use: Transitions, makeovers, or lifestyle changes.
Other ways to say: Refresh, revamp, renew.
18. Call time on
Meaning: To bring something to an official stop.
Used in a sentence: The coach called time on the session after two hours.
Best use: Time-bound activities or meetings.
Other ways to say: Finish up, conclude, stop.
19. Let go
Meaning: To release attachment or control.
Used in a sentence: Sometimes you just have to let go to grow.
Best use: Healing, grief, or personal transitions.
Other ways to say: Release, move forward, detach.
20. Wind down
Meaning: To gradually come to an end.
Used in a sentence: The event began to wind down after the final speech.
Best use: Events, programs, or gatherings.
Other ways to say: Ease off, conclude, finish gently.
21. End of the road
Meaning: The final point; no further progress possible.
Used in a sentence: It was the end of the road for that business idea.
Best use: Projects, dreams, or partnerships.
Other ways to say: Final stage, conclusion, wrap-up.
22. Wash your hands of
Meaning: To stop being involved with something.
Used in a sentence: He washed his hands of the company after the scandal.
Best use: Ethical decisions or disassociations.
Other ways to say: Walk away, cut ties, leave behind.
23. Part ways
Meaning: To separate from someone or something.
Used in a sentence: We decided to part ways professionally but remain friends.
Best use: Neutral or positive separations.
Other ways to say: Separate, go different paths, move apart.
24. Put it to bed
Meaning: To finalize or stop discussing something.
Used in a sentence: We’ve debated this long enough—let’s put it to bed.
Best use: Conversations, reports, or topics.
Other ways to say: Finalize, close out, conclude.
25. Bring the curtain down
Meaning: To end a performance or journey, often ceremonially.
Used in a sentence: After 40 years in the spotlight, she brought the curtain down on her career.
Best use: Celebratory or respectful endings.
Other ways to say: Wrap up, end gracefully, step away.
Conclusion: Wrapping Up with Grace
Endings aren’t just closures—they’re also beginnings. In my own experience as a content creator and mentor, I’ve seen how the right idiom can soften difficult news, give closure with compassion, or signal change with confidence and care.
Use these idioms as tools in your emotional and communicative toolkit. Whether you’re ending a relationship, leaving a job, or simply concluding a conversation, remember: the way we end things reflects our respect for what came before.
