stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.
stopped at the red light
cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality.
by nightfall the fighting had ceased
quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.
the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether
discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.
we have discontinued the manufacture of that item
desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.
desisted from further efforts to persuade them
Example Sentences
He discontinued his visits to the psychiatrist. She chose to discontinue her studies. The company has announced that the current model will be discontinued next year. They are planning to discontinue bus service between the two towns.
Recent Examples on the WebApple will likely discontinue the older AirPods Pro. Joanna Stern, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2022 Neuman said that at 7 p.m. Aug. 12, radiology and the operating room at UH Richmond will also discontinue services.cleveland, 11 Aug. 2022 Why would Unilever discontinue such an iconic treat? Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 26 July 2022 According to the Nature commentary, about one-third of women globally discontinue hormonal birth control methods within the first year of taking them, often because of side effects. Caroline Hopkins, NBC News, 17 July 2022 Nikkei Asia reports that camera maker Nikon will discontinue further development of its single-lens reflex (SLR) camera lineup, leaving the longtime professional standbys behind and shifting its efforts to smaller mirrorless models. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 12 July 2022 Moreover, Apple should discontinue the Apple Watch Series 3 this year. Chris Smith, BGR, 7 July 2022 All of Boeing’s U.S. subsystem suppliers were also forced to discontinue their sourcing from VSMPO. Steven Tian, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2022 Apple may be planning to discontinue one of those chargers though, as Japanese blog Mac Otakara noted this week that Apple has stopped selling the 5W USB power adapter in Japan. Jacob Siegal, BGR, 16 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French discontinuer, from Medieval Latin discontinuare, from Latin dis- + continuare to continue