1
: the apparent descent of the sun below the horizon
also
: the accompanying atmospheric effects
2
: the time when the upper limb of the sun disappears below the horizon as a result of the diurnal rotation of the earth
3
: a period of decline
especially
: old age
: stipulating the periodic review of government agencies and programs in order to continue their existence
sunset laws
sunsetted; sunsetting
1
transitive
US
: to cause or allow (something, such as a law) to lapse, end, or be terminated
And yet, even though he was part of the coalition, Obama offered an amendment … that would have sunsetted the merit-based evaluation system for immigrants after five years.—
Jake Tapper
Jake TapperIn an effort to cut back on projects, Google decided to sunset Google Reader …—Tristan Louis
Tristan Louis2
intransitive
US
: to lapse or come to an end : expire
laws that will sunset at the end of the year
Since the credit will sunset at the end of 2016, its fate could rest in the hands of a new Congress and a new president—who might not necessarily see the value in reinstating the credit.—Eric S. Peterson
Eric S. PetersonExamples of sunset in a Sentence
Noun
We worked from sunrise to sunset.
the golden light of sunset
Recent Examples on the Web
Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
According to the Time and Date sunrise/sunset calculator, residents will get about 10-and-a-half hours of daylight — compared to more than 12 hours during the summer.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2025
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Post-sunset missions also make the Falcon 9 rocket easier to see soaring over Arizona.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Michael Schneider, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Republican and Democratic lawmakers are at odds over the fate of Affordable Care Act tax breaks that affect 24 million Americans and are set to sunset at the end of the year.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sunset
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Other images and videos were of the beautiful nature around them, including a video from a sunset boat ride, a shot of towering palm trees at nighttime, and a close-up of the vibrant yellow fruit of the Clusia rosea tree, also known as the pitch apple.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
According to the Time and Date sunrise/sunset calculator, residents will get about 10-and-a-half hours of daylight — compared to more than 12 hours during the summer.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Observing Tips As well as being on time to observe this post-sunset sky sight, try to bring along a pair of binoculars.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Post-sunset missions also make the Falcon 9 rocket easier to see soaring over Arizona.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
The cuts at networks like MTV and CMT come as Paramount continues to sunset a once vibrant talent division, back when those networks were much more focused on original music series production.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Republican and Democratic lawmakers are at odds over the fate of Affordable Care Act tax breaks that affect 24 million Americans and are set to sunset at the end of the year.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sunset
Cite this Entry
“Sunset.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunset. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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