sunset

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/ˈsʌnˌsɛt/
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The point where light, strength, or an allotted span reaches its end.
Practice using sunset in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • Why was no sunset date added to the emergency rule?
  • The bill includes a five-year sunset clause.
  • The committee removed the sunset requirement from the program.
  • The novel follows a star facing the sunset of her fame.
  • He wrote his finest poems in the sunset of his career.

Similar words

twilight
expiring
discontinue
nightfall
final years
temporary
fixed-term
expire
evening
decline

Meanings

Evening descent and sky

noun
nature
neutral
The time when the sun disappears below the horizon, or the colored sky and light seen as it goes down.

Examples

  • We reached the beach just before sunset.
  • Did you photograph the sunset over the lake?
  • The clouds turned pink at sunset.
  • They worked from sunrise to sunset.
  • Tonight’s sunset was bright orange and purple.

Similar words

sundown
dusk
twilight
nightfall
evening

Final period of decline

noun
life
literary
The last part of a life, career, or period, when its strength or importance is fading.

Examples

  • He wrote his finest poems in the sunset of his career.
  • The empire entered its sunset after decades of unrest.
  • She remained active well into the sunset of her life.
  • The novel follows a star facing the sunset of her fame.
  • They refused to let one defeat define the sunset of the team’s era.

Similar words

decline
twilight
waning
final years
closing stage

Set to expire

adjective
law
technical
Designed to end automatically on a stated date or unless it is reviewed and renewed.

Examples

  • The bill includes a five-year sunset clause.
  • A sunset provision will end the tax break in 2030.
  • Why was no sunset date added to the emergency rule?
  • The committee removed the sunset requirement from the program.
  • Without a sunset mechanism, the temporary power could become permanent.

Similar words

time-limited
temporary
expiring
fixed-term

Phase out or expire

verb
business
technical
To bring a product, service, rule, or program to an end, or to reach its planned end.

Examples

  • The company will sunset the old app in December.
  • We are sunsetting that service after ten years.
  • The tax credit sunsetted at the end of June.
  • Has the team decided when to sunset the feature?
  • The policy will not be sunsetted until a replacement is ready.

Similar words

phase out
discontinue
retire
terminate
expire
end

Etymology

Formed from sun and set, with the noun recorded in Old English. The image of daylight ending later gave rise to the sense of decline, then to legal and business uses for planned expiry.

FAQ

What does sunset mean?

It most often means the time or scene when the sun goes down. It can also mean a final period of decline.

What does it mean to sunset a product?

It means to phase out and stop supporting or offering the product.

What is a sunset clause?

It is a rule that makes a law, contract, or program end on a stated date unless it is renewed.

What is the opposite of sunset?

For the daily event, the opposite is sunrise. For an ending or decline, beginning or rise may fit.

What are the verb forms of sunset?

The usual forms are sunset, sunsetted, and sunsetting.

Where does sunset come from?

It combines sun with set, describing the sun’s apparent movement below the horizon.

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