finishing touch

noun

: the last thing done to make something complete
added candles to the cake as the finishing touch
—usually plural
They're putting the finishing touches on their new home.
He's putting the finishing touches on his latest novel.

Examples of finishing touch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sunscreen is half the battle; a packable sun hat both keeps you safe from harmful rays and adds the finishing touch to your resortwear. — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 18 June 2026 Add flowers, shrubs, evergreens, and hedges to put the finishing touch on a cozy, intentional backyard space. — Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 23 June 2026 While furniture is essential for creating a fresh setup, décor adds the finishing touch. — Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 The finishing touch is the beachside restaurant, Comporta Beach Club. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for finishing touch

Rhymes for finishing touch

See All Rhymes for finishing touch

Browse Nearby Words

finishing stove
finishing touch
finish line
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Finishing touch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finishing%20touch. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All