60 Other Ways to Say "In Conclusion" (With Examples)
4 min readParagraph Generator team
Last updated October 26, 2026.
The most common alternatives to "in conclusion" are "to conclude," "in summary" and "to sum it up," and the best one depends on tone: formal papers suit "to conclude" or "in summary," while emails and speeches suit "to wrap up" or "all in all." Below are 60 other ways to say "in conclusion," grouped by tone, each with an example sentence you can adapt.
The ten you will use most:
- To conclude
- In summary
- To sum it up
- Overall
- Ultimately
- In short
- All things considered
- In closing
- To wrap up
- All in all
Formal and academic alternatives
For essays, research papers, reports and formal speeches.
| Phrase | Example sentence | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| To conclude | To conclude, the survey responses point to cost, not quality, as the main reason customers leave. | Academic essays, research papers |
| In summary | In summary, the new schedule cut waiting times without adding staff. | Reports, executive summaries |
| To summarize | To summarize, all three sources agree that sleep affects memory, but they disagree on how much. | Literature reviews |
| In closing | In closing, I would like to thank the committee for its time and careful questions. | Speeches, formal letters |
| In the final analysis | In the final analysis, the policy failed because no one was responsible for enforcing it. | Arguments, analysis |
| Taking everything into account | Taking everything into account, the second proposal offers better value over five years. | Comparisons, recommendations |
| All things considered | All things considered, the risks of waiting outweigh the cost of acting now. | Weighing pros and cons |
| Considering all the factors | Considering all the factors, the team chose to delay the launch until spring. | Business reports |
| Taken together | Taken together, these findings suggest the effect is real but small. | Research findings |
| In essence | In essence, the author argues that habits matter more than talent. | Summing up a source |
| To encapsulate | To encapsulate, the project met its goals but ran over budget. | Formal summaries |
| Upon reflection | Upon reflection, the decision to move the classes online was the right one. | Reflective essays |
| Upon further reflection | Upon further reflection, my first reading of the poem missed its humour. | Reflective journals |
| Upon deeper consideration | Upon deeper consideration, the cheaper option would have cost more in repairs. | Reviewing a decision |
| Upon careful review | Upon careful review, the panel found no evidence of misconduct. | Official findings |
| In retrospect | In retrospect, the early warning signs were easy to miss. | Case studies, histories |
| In the final estimation | In the final estimation, the novel works better as a family portrait than as a mystery. | Literary criticism |
| In the final reckoning | In the final reckoning, the reform helped some groups and left others behind. | Historical analysis |
| To draw this to a close | To draw this to a close, I will restate the three changes we are asking for. | Formal talks, closing statements |
Neutral alternatives for essays and reports
Safe in most school and work writing: clear without sounding stiff.
| Phrase | Example sentence | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | Overall, the course is a good fit for beginners who can study a few hours a week. | Reviews, general writing |
| On the whole | On the whole, readers found the instructions clear and easy to follow. | Feedback summaries |
| By and large | By and large, the town has welcomed the new bike lanes. | Opinion pieces |
| In short | In short, the plan is affordable, simple and ready to start. | Quick summaries |
| All in all | All in all, it was a productive week for the whole team. | Updates, newsletters |
| Summing up | Summing up, regular exercise, steady sleep and a balanced diet do most of the work. | Blog posts, guides |
| To sum it up | To sum it up, the app saves time but needs better offline support. | Product reviews |
| Putting it all together | Putting it all together, the data shows a clear shift toward remote work. | Data write-ups |
| Bringing it all together | Bringing it all together, each chapter shows a different side of the same problem. | Essays with several parts |
| Looking at the big picture | Looking at the big picture, one bad quarter matters less than the steady growth before it. | Business commentary |
| In the grand scheme of things | In the grand scheme of things, a short delay is a fair price for a safer bridge. | Putting a point in perspective |
| In the greater scheme of things | In the greater scheme of things, the argument was about trust, not money. | Opinion essays |
| In the end | In the end, the community chose to keep the old library open. | Stories, narrative essays |
| To put it simply | To put it simply, the more you practise, the easier it gets. | Explainers, how-to guides |
| To make a final point | To make a final point, none of these changes needs new software. | Proposals, debates |
| To complete the picture | To complete the picture, the last section looks at how costs changed over time. | Adding one last angle to a report |
| To bring this full circle | To bring this full circle, the question we started with now has a clear answer. | Essays that open with a question or story |
| To close | To close, here are the three steps to take this week. | Articles, newsletters |
| In the final tally | In the final tally, the benefits clearly outweigh the drawbacks. | Comparisons, scorecards |
Casual and spoken alternatives
For speeches, emails, meetings and blog posts.
| Phrase | Example sentence | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| To wrap up | To wrap up, please send me any questions before Friday. | Emails, meetings |
| At the end of the day | At the end of the day, the best tool is the one your team will actually use. | Talks, casual writing |
| When all is said and done | When all is said and done, it was a great trip despite the rain. | Personal stories |
| All said and done | All said and done, the move went better than we expected. | Informal updates |
| Bottom line | Bottom line: if it saves you an hour a week, it is worth trying. | Quick advice, emails |
| In a nutshell | In a nutshell, the new policy gives everyone two extra days off. | Explaining something to a colleague |
| In a word | In a word, the concert was unforgettable. | Short reviews, speeches |
| In a few words | In a few words, the plan is simple: spend less and save more. | Short talks |
| To boil it down | To boil it down, we need more time or fewer features. | Meetings, team chats |
| To get to the heart of it | To get to the heart of it, people want faster answers from support. | Discussions, interviews |
| To make a long story short | To make a long story short, we missed the train and found a better hotel. | Storytelling, casual emails |
| To make it simple | To make it simple, the red button stops everything. | Instructions given out loud |
| When you step back and look at it | When you step back and look at it, the setback taught us a lot. | Reflective blog posts |
| Rounding it out | Rounding it out, the last speaker shared tips for first-time buyers. | Event recaps |
| To cap it off | To cap it off, we finished the season with our best result yet. | Celebrations, recaps |
| To tie a bow on it | To tie a bow on it, every loose end from last month is now sorted. | Light, friendly writing |
| To put a bow on it | To put a bow on it, the client signed the contract this morning. | Casual team updates |
| To put a lid on it | To put a lid on it, let's agree on the budget and meet again next week. | Ending a discussion |
| Ultimately speaking | Ultimately speaking, the choice comes down to what you enjoy. | Conversational writing |
One-word alternatives
"Overall" (above) also works on its own.
| Phrase | Example sentence | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Ultimately | Ultimately, the success of the plan depends on the people running it. | A final judgement, any tone |
| Finally | Finally, remember to back up your files before you update. | The last of several points |
| Lastly | Lastly, thank you all for coming. | The last item in a list or speech |
Transition words for a conclusion
Transition words tell the reader you are moving from your points to your conclusion. The most useful are finally, lastly, therefore, thus, as a result, consequently, overall, ultimately, to conclude and in summary. "Therefore" and "thus" show that a point follows from your evidence, so they usually sit inside a concluding sentence rather than at its start. Use one transition at a time: "Therefore, in summary," reads as padding.
Should you write "in conclusion" at all?
Often you do not need it. The University of North Carolina's Writing Center lists "beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as 'in conclusion,' 'in summary,' or 'in closing'" among the strategies to avoid, and adds that these phrases "can work in speeches" but "come across as wooden and trite in writing" (UNC Writing Center, "Conclusions").
A stronger final paragraph opens by restating your main point in new words. If you still want a signpost, pick one phrase from the lists above and use it once. In a speech, a short signpost such as "to wrap up" helps listeners know you are about to finish.
If you are stuck on the whole paragraph rather than its first words, see the full conclusion sentence starters, or write a conclusion paragraph with the generator by choosing its free Conclusion mode. For openings and body paragraphs, the sentence starters list and the guide to types of paragraphs help too.
Three habits that keep endings fresh
Match the register, not just the words
Concluding a formal academic paper calls for simpler language, not compound complex sentences. Swap the opener to fit the document, not the other way round.
Rotate your openers across a single piece
If every section closes the same way, the repetition is more noticeable than the phrase itself. Pick from a different group each time.
Let the closer carry a point, not an announcement
A good ending gives the reader the takeaway. Saying that you have finished is not the same as telling them what it added up to.
Frequently asked questions
It is not wrong, but in a written essay it is usually unnecessary, because the reader can already see the end coming. Writing guides such as the UNC Writing Center's advise opening the final paragraph by restating your main point instead. In a speech, a signpost like "in conclusion" or "to wrap up" is fine.
Spoken signposts work best: "to wrap up," "in closing," "to sum it up" or "to draw this to a close." Keep the line short, then restate your main point in one sentence.
Yes. "To conclude" is formal and suits academic essays, research papers and reports. In casual writing it can sound stiff, so "overall" or "all in all" may fit better.
"Ultimately," "finally," "lastly" and "overall" all work. "Ultimately" fits a final judgement, "finally" and "lastly" fit the last of several points, and "overall" fits a general summary.
Write a closing line that does not sound recycled
Drop your draft into the paragraph generator, pick a tone, and get a conclusion that fits the piece.