1
as in to complete
to bring (something) to a state where nothing remains to be done
we should finish the painting of the house by tomorrow
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to end
to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point
we'll finish the concert before dark
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to stop
to come to an end
the three-day race finished yesterday
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in ending
the last part of a process or action
a pie-eating contest is the fair's traditional finish
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2
as in end
the stopping of a process or activity
an all-out fight right to the finish
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of finish
Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Women who died in childbirth, young men who died in war, infants who died before baptism—these especially pitiable dead were sometimes thought to become terrors whom the living would need to finish off once and for all.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
Regular sweeping protects floors by removing gritty debris that can scratch and damage finishes.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finish
Verb
Over that time, the Oilers have finished second 11 times, in all of the Smythe, the Northwest, the Pacific and even the Scotia NHL® North Division during that one year that literally nobody called it that.
—Noun
Legend still looks dangerous after its state runner-up finish last season.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for finish
Verb
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Mills and the Texans’ offense scored a touchdown on all three of their fourth-quarter drives, including the veteran quarterback capping a 14-play, 93-yard drive with a 14-yard run to complete the comeback and give Houston a 30-29 lead — its first of the game.—
-
Despite the game-ending gaffe, Schakel had a strong day, completing 43 of 63 passes for 451 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.—
Verb
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The administration has quietly directed diplomats to press allies on restricting inflows, enhancing deportation mechanisms, and ending policies perceived as favoring migrants over citizens.—
-
This abuse of justice must end.—
Verb
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On third-and-1 with seven seconds left, Schakel took the snap and tried to spike the ball, which would have stopped the clock and given his team one final play to go for the win.—
-
Among those who do use an advisor, 26% are considering switching and 18% may stop using an advisor altogether.—
Noun
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Did the 'Christy' ending happen in real life?—
-
The ending of the film certainly leaves it open to the possibility.—
Noun
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In May 2021, one of the largest fuel pipeline systems in the United States was paralyzed when a cyberattack brought operations to an abrupt halt.—
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But Friday night, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused that judicial order to allow time for an appeals court to decide whether to issue a more lasting halt.—
Verb
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North Texas won 27 games and advanced to the semifinals of the NIT to conclude the 2024-25 season.—
-
Congress concluded that not all civil-rights crises could be solved by lawsuits, arrests, or federal force.—
Verb
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Kick your tattered bath mat to the curb, and grab the Yimobra Memory Foam Bath Rug before the deal expires.—
-
January was set to host a free-agent frenzy, with most league veterans aligning their contracts to expire in advance of the new CBA.—
Noun
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With Donna’s Banishment seeming almost a forgone conclusion, Cumming summoned the players back to a special morning edition of the Roundtable to just get the inevitable out of the way.—
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Ball certainly didn’t have any issue getting into the action, posting a team-best 11 first-quarter points on the strength of making his first three attempts and banking in a running 3-pointer off the glass at the buzzer, signaling the conclusion of the game’s initial 12 minutes.—
Cite this Entry
“Finish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finish. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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