See desist in Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus II
verb
To cease trying to accomplish or continue:
abandon, break off, discontinue, give up, leave off, quit, relinquish, remit, stop. (Informal) swear off. (Slang) lay off. Idioms: call it a day, call it quits, hang up one's fiddle, have done with, throw in the towel. See continue
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