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

Relevance

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
The 1,200-square-foot finished, walkout lower level currently features a large home office and a dedicated recreation area. — Karen A. Avitabile, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026 The stage again featured the hugely popular uphill climb through the Montmartre district, a sharp 1-kilometer dash which riders tackle three times before finishing on the Champs-Élysées. — ABC News, 26 July 2026
Noun
However, his Week 15 ACL and meniscus tear directly preceded the team's winless finish. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 But last year’s LB17 fantasy finish is becoming as much rule as exception with Smith. — Gary Davenport, New York Times, 27 July 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
  • The freshman four-year graduation rate is the percentage of undergraduate students who entered the university as freshmen and completed their bachelor’s degree within four years.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
  • Ivory Coast’s 20-year-old winger Bazoumana Toure started his nation’s opening game against Ecuador and then completed a £42million ($56m) move to Newcastle United the following week.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of complete
Verb
  • Parker, who by this time had begun exhibiting erratic behavior because of his drug issues, never showed up at the club, ending Adams’ hopes of sharing the stage with one of his idols.
    — Dan Kelly July 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
  • Under the new rules, California had to either levy a higher tax on commercial plans or end the taxes on the state plans and lose federal funding.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of end
Verb
  • The project has drawn fierce local opposition in the mostly agricultural communities south of San Jose where it will be built, and the agency has temporarily stopped construction on it in advance of a court hearing in September.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026
  • Three minutes later, Son put away a volley after Carles Gil stopped a ball at the end line and whipped a cross into the center of the box.
    — Kamran Nia July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
Definition of stop
Noun
  • In our initial interview, Nolan was reluctant to discuss the ending of The Odyssey.
    — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 24 July 2026
  • Spoilers ahead for the plot and ending of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 July 2026
Definition of ending
Noun
  • Last week, De Beers — which is owned by Anglo American — announced a two-year production halt at its flagship Venetia mine in South Africa.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 20 July 2026
  • The escalation over the strait has seen shipping traffic ground to a halt through the waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil flowed before the war.
    — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 17 July 2026
Definition of halt
Verb
  • The ceremony concluded with attendees placing flowers and candles on a table with photos of the two men who were killed.
    — Noah Vinsky July 25, Charlotte Observer, 26 July 2026
  • The companies concluded that the licensed technologies are expected to support next-generation applications, including energy and grid infrastructure, energy storage, industrial electrification, automotive and other high-power systems.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 26 July 2026
Definition of conclude
Verb
  • Mora is returning to Liga MX and likely to join Atlético San Luis with his MLS contract expiring.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
  • The administration turned to a temporary 10% across-the-board tariff on most trading partners, but on Friday those expired.
    — Christine Romans, NBC news, 25 July 2026
Definition of expire
Noun
  • To reach these conclusions, the research methodology estimated how violence would have continued had the schools remained open, compared with crime data in the years after 2013.
    — Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026
  • This conclusion was available to anyone willing to trust the current data and our fundamental understanding of economic theory.
    — Don Muir, Forbes.com, 25 July 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 1 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on finish

Nglish: Translation of finish for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about finish

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