finished; finishing; finishes
1
a
: to come to an end : terminate
The meeting finished at noon.
b
2
a
: to come to the end of a course, task, or undertaking
I shall finish with a Chopin nocturne—
Lillian Hellman
b
: to end relations
—used with with
decided to finish with him for good
3
: to end a competition in a specified manner or position
finished third in the race
1
a
: to bring to an end : terminate
finished the speech and sat down
b
: to use or dispose of entirely
her sandwich finished the loaf
2
a
: to bring to completion or issue
hope to finish their new home before winter
b
: to provide with a finish
especially
: to put a final coat or surface on
finish a table with varnish
3
a
: to defeat or ruin utterly and finally
the scandal finished his career
b
: to bring about the death of
—usually used with off
The gladiator finished off his opponent.
finisher
noun
1
: something that completes or perfects: such as
a
: the fine or decorative work required for a building or one of its parts
b
: a finishing material used in painting
c
: the final treatment or coating of a surface
d
: the taste in the mouth after swallowing a beverage (such as wine)
2
a
: final stage : end
b
: the cause of one's ruin
3
: the result or product of a finishing process
a glossy finish
4
: the quality or state of being perfected
Synonyms
Examples of finish in a Sentence
Verb
You can't watch TV until you finish your homework.
He started his homework two hours ago and he still hasn't finished.
They hope to finish their new home by winter.
They're building a new home and they hope to finish by winter.
The chairman finished the meeting at noon.
The meeting finished on a positive note.
Noun
a suspense film with a perfect surprise finish
The table had a shiny finish.
I need to put one more coat of finish on the chair.
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
At season’s end, their teams finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 7th.
—Todd Boss, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Travis Bean, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
The complex finish showcases gentle baking spices and roasted caramel.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 14 Dec. 2024
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Verb
Greenlaw finished the first half with eight tackles.
—Noun
The calculation is simple: a first place finish earns ten points, a second place finish earns nine points, all the way down to tenth place which earns one point.
—Articles Related to finish
Dictionary Entries Near finish
Cite this Entry
“Finish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finish. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
finish
1 of 2 verb
fin·ish
ˈfin-ish 
1
: to bring or come to an end : terminate, complete entry 2
2
: to put a final coat or surface on
3
: to end a competition in a specified position
finished third in the race
4
: to come to the end of a course, task, or undertaking
finisher
noun
finish
2 of 2 noun2
: the final coating on a surface or the appearance given by a final coating
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