difficult decision to cease

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficult decision to cease" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a challenging choice to stop or discontinue something, such as a project, activity, or relationship. Example: "After much deliberation, we reached a difficult decision to cease operations for the safety of our employees."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

As a result we have made the difficult decision to cease trading the business and commence a wind-down of the estate".

The Guardian - Business

Last week, the Bold Italic, a popular blog about Bay Area culture, was shut down, with a short, unsigned message on the Bold Italic, reading, "We have made the difficult decision to cease operations".

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

"It's a difficult decision to stop.

BBC

"The decision to cease publication of The Review is a difficult one made after a careful study of the magazine's prospects in a challenging business climate," Todd Larsen, chief operating officer at the Dow Jones Consumer Media Group, said in the statement on Sunday.

The New York Times

Mr. Racicot's decision to cease lobbying, he said, "is obviously a halfway measure".

The New York Times

The statement on the decision to cease production at Shepton is more prosaic.

The Guardian - Business

And Lord Merton and Isabel get passionate over her decision to cease their relationship because his children don't approve.

Independent

"Actavis has made the bold and unprecedented decision to cease all production and sales of its Promethazine Codeine product.

Vice

On April 15, 2011 TOKYOPOP finally announced its decision to cease operations in the US the following month.

Vice

Combined with fears of negative reactions, their decision to cease disclosing was a form of self-protection.

American Journal of Community Psychology

"It was a difficult decision to leave.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "difficult decision to cease", ensure the context clearly indicates what is being stopped or discontinued. Clarity is key to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid starting multiple sentences or paragraphs with "difficult decision". Vary your sentence structure to maintain reader engagement and prevent monotony.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficult decision to cease" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. Ludwig's AI analysis confirms its grammatical correctness and usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "difficult decision to cease" is a grammatically correct noun phrase used to describe a challenging choice to stop or discontinue something. According to Ludwig, it is most frequently found in news and media contexts, suggesting a neutral to professional register. While not exceedingly common, the phrase is appropriate when a degree of formality is desired. Consider alternatives like "challenging decision to stop" or "hard decision to end" for variations in tone and emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

challenging decision to stop

Replaces "cease" with "stop", maintaining the meaning but using a more common term.

tough choice to discontinue

Substitutes "decision" with "choice" and "cease" with "discontinue", emphasizing the difficulty of the selection.

hard decision to end

Uses "hard" instead of "difficult" and "end" in place of "cease", offering a simpler alternative.

agonizing decision to terminate

Replaces "difficult" with "agonizing" to highlight the emotional distress and "cease" with "terminate" for a more formal tone.

painful decision to halt

Emphasizes the unpleasantness of the decision by using "painful" and replacing "cease" with "halt".

unpleasant decision to suspend

Focuses on the disagreeable nature of the decision using "unpleasant", and "suspend" instead of "cease".

grave decision to discontinue

Emphasizes the seriousness of the decision using "grave", and "discontinue" instead of "cease".

onerous choice to abandon

Highlights the burden of the decision by using "onerous" and replacing "cease" with "abandon".

demanding choice to interrupt

Stresses the demanding nature of the decision using "demanding", and "interrupt" instead of "cease".

complex decision to suspend

Emphasizes the intricate nature of the decision using "complex", and "suspend" instead of "cease".

FAQs

How can I rephrase "difficult decision to cease" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "agonizing decision to terminate" or "grave decision to discontinue". These alternatives add weight and seriousness to the decision being described.

What's a simpler way to say "difficult decision to cease"?

A simpler alternative is "hard decision to end". This option maintains the core meaning but uses more accessible language.

In what situations is it appropriate to use "difficult decision to cease"?

This phrase is appropriate when discussing the challenging choice to stop or discontinue something, such as a project, activity, or relationship. Ensure that the context clearly indicates what is being stopped.

What words can be used instead of "cease" in the phrase "difficult decision to cease"?

You can replace "cease" with words like "stop", "discontinue", "end", or "halt", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.