finish 1 of 2

verb

ˈfi-nish How to pronounce finish (audio)
Definition of finishnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to stop
to come to an end the three-day race finished yesterday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

finish

2 of 2

noun

1
as in ending
the last part of a process or action a pie-eating contest is the fair's traditional finish

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in end
the stopping of a process or activity an all-out fight right to the finish

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb finish differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of finish are close, complete, conclude, end, and terminate. While all these words mean "to bring or come to a stopping point or limit," finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.

after it is painted, the house will be finished

When would close be a good substitute for finish?

The words close and finish can be used in similar contexts, but close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.

close a debate

When can complete be used instead of finish?

The synonyms complete and finish are sometimes interchangeable, but complete implies the removal of all deficiencies or a successful finishing of what has been undertaken.

the resolving of this last issue completes the agreement

Where would conclude be a reasonable alternative to finish?

The meanings of conclude and finish largely overlap; however, conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).

the service concluded with a blessing

When could end be used to replace finish?

Although the words end and finish have much in common, end conveys a strong sense of finality.

ended his life

In what contexts can terminate take the place of finish?

The words terminate and finish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space.

your employment terminates after three months

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of finish
Verb
Robert Pattinson is sounding off about Steven Soderbergh stepping up to help finish filming The Batman Part II. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026 Aldrich Potgieter, the South African whose superpower is being one of the longest hitters in the game, found himself in a playoff with Brian Campbell, who finished 161st out of 162 players in average driving distance this season. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Noun
There was never a finish date set, and my dad wasn’t pushy about it. — Souvankham Thammavongsa, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026 Eight of the 10-win seasons, seven of the bowl victories and four of the top-10 finishes came when TCU played in Conference USA or the Mountain West, not the Big 12. — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for finish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finish
  1. complete
  2. end
  3. stop
  4. ending
  5. halt
  6. conclude
  7. expire
  8. conclusion
Verb
  • And digging a tunnel from the Brown to the Blue, even for a couple of miles, would probably only be completed in a decade.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Adaptable Deck Launcher (ADL) completed its first live-fire demonstration in California on October 27, 2026.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of complete
Verb
  • Letter writer second-guesses history of avoidant behavior after one phone argument ends a decades-long friendship.
    — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In a shocking upset, a student movement resoundingly beat longtime Serbian leader President Aleksandar Vucic, ending his time in power after 14 years.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of end
Verb
  • Luigi Carbone, Pope Leo XIV's physician, said the pontiff's recovery from lung cancer surgery won't stop plans for a visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru involving a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high altitudes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Another to stop solving problems his team brings him and teach them to solve it instead.
    — Ben Plomion, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of stop
Noun
  • Even people who like the film will leave yowling at the ending.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But even though that conclusion would be many times less schmaltzy than the actual film’s ending, Ishiguro won’t give it to us.
    — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of ending
Noun
  • No bigger than a microwave oven, Idefix will plop onto Phobos by itself, bouncing for several minutes before coming to a halt in the moon's extraordinarily low gravity.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The sharp decline earlier this year in software stocks ground dealmaking in the sector to a halt, as CEOs were reluctant to sell at the bottom and private-equity firms struggled to raise the debt.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of halt
Verb
  • The feat concludes a pursuit that began in 2009, when Zhang first experimented with riding a motorcycle on water and overcame early failures to achieve his latest goal.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The meeting concluded with a general consensus among School Board members and City Council representatives to move forward with feasibility studies, cost breakdowns and formal design reviews before drafting a binding interlocal agreement.
    — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of conclude
Verb
  • Melissa’s Law The statute of limitations expired on Highsmith’s case decades before she was found.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Doesn't expire Up to 50% off The TJ Maxx clearance section is one of the best ways to snag a deal at the retailer, with up to 50% off select styles.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of expire
Noun
  • As questions piled up, investigators reached a single, clear conclusion.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • His conclusion was that the chatbot has probably never lived a life that needed cinema.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of conclusion

Browse Nearby Words

finises
finish
finished
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Cite this Entry

“Finish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finish. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on finish

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about finish

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