cease and desist

phrase

formal
: to stop (doing something) immediately
The company was ordered by the court to cease and desist from selling the photographs.

Examples of cease and desist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Chesterton’s Board of Zoning Appeals faced the unusual situation Thursday of handling two cases that involved an administrative appeal of a cease and desist order issued by the town’s building commissioner. — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026 Even Tamra Judge, who famously threw red wine and a cease and desist letter at Jeana during a 2011 confrontation, sent support to her former costar with a $500 donation. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026 On Thursday, the Instagram account for a lecture series in Newport Beach, CA posted a photo of what appeared to be a cease and desist letter from the surveillance technology company Flock Safety. — Jay Peters, The Verge, 11 July 2026 Swalwell’s attorneys filed a cease and desist letter with Patel and the FBI. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cease and desist

Rhymes for cease and desist

See All Rhymes for cease and desist

Browse Nearby Words

cease
cease and desist
cease and desist order
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cease and desist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cease%20and%20desist. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All