1
as in completes
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 ends
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 stops
to come to an end
the three-day race finished yesterday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in endings
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 halts
the stopping of a process or activity
an all-out fight right to the finish
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 finishes
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Jan. 2026
Premium finishes in 2026 are limited to Aero Gray, Snowflake White, Soul Red, and Machine Gray.
—Byron Hurd, The Drive, 28 Jan. 2026
His son Max frequently finishes his work in school, and Dominguez said homeschooling could give the sixth grader more time to explore other subjects, like information technology.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
For example, the team that finishes top of the Champions League group phase will earn 12 points, double that on offer for doing the same in the Europa League and three times that of topping the Conference League standings.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Rice finishes cooking off the heat.
—Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 27 Jan. 2026
By the time a regulator finishes drafting a rule for something like image editing, the company has usually shipped two or three new versions of the feature.
—The Ai Insider, Interesting Engineering, 26 Jan. 2026
More information is expected to come out once the Michigan State Police finishes its investigation into what happened.
—Jack Springgate, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Cerakote joins the library of specialist finishes Garmin has previously added to its highest-cost watches.
—Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
This is especially the case with more matte finishes, which can be removed from a surface with too much wiping or too harsh a brush or cloth.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Leathered and soft-honed finishes will replace ultra-glossy finishes, and natural stone with movement and depth will replace flat, one-dimensional countertop materials.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
Techniques like laser cutting and engraving add texture, while mineral pigments create metallic finishes.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 30 Jan. 2026
After Jalen Wilson’s first three-pointer briefly put Brooklyn ahead, Denver responded with an 11-0 run built on three finishes at the rim and another Hardaway triple.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2026
The 41-year-old Vonn has been the circuit's leading downhiller this season with two victories and three other podium finishes, having returned last season after a partial right knee titanium replacement.
—CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Brodie played on the Senior PGA Tour and had 12 top 10 finishes, including a win at the 1991 Security Pacific Senior Classic.
—Trevor Woods, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Sited on the sixth floor, the unit features two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a powder room in a little more than 2,000 square feet boasting white oak parquet floors, 10-foot ceilings, and bespoke finishes created exclusively for the space, plus top-of-the-line home-automation and climate systems.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
Arajai Burks, junior G Hill calls Burks a strong defender who finishes well at the rim and has good court vision and a reliable outside shot.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Jan. 2026
Premium finishes in 2026 are limited to Aero Gray, Snowflake White, Soul Red, and Machine Gray.
—Byron Hurd, The Drive, 28 Jan. 2026
His son Max frequently finishes his work in school, and Dominguez said homeschooling could give the sixth grader more time to explore other subjects, like information technology.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
For example, the team that finishes top of the Champions League group phase will earn 12 points, double that on offer for doing the same in the Europa League and three times that of topping the Conference League standings.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Rice finishes cooking off the heat.
—Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 27 Jan. 2026
By the time a regulator finishes drafting a rule for something like image editing, the company has usually shipped two or three new versions of the feature.
—The Ai Insider, Interesting Engineering, 26 Jan. 2026
More information is expected to come out once the Michigan State Police finishes its investigation into what happened.
—Jack Springgate, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Cerakote joins the library of specialist finishes Garmin has previously added to its highest-cost watches.
—Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Noun
After nearly six years away from ski racing, Vonn made a comeback last year and has two victories and three additional podium finishes in five downhill races this season — all with a partial titanium implant in her right knee.
—Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
This is especially the case with more matte finishes, which can be removed from a surface with too much wiping or too harsh a brush or cloth.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Leathered and soft-honed finishes will replace ultra-glossy finishes, and natural stone with movement and depth will replace flat, one-dimensional countertop materials.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
Techniques like laser cutting and engraving add texture, while mineral pigments create metallic finishes.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 30 Jan. 2026
After Jalen Wilson’s first three-pointer briefly put Brooklyn ahead, Denver responded with an 11-0 run built on three finishes at the rim and another Hardaway triple.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2026
The 41-year-old Vonn has been the circuit's leading downhiller this season with two victories and three other podium finishes, having returned last season after a partial right knee titanium replacement.
—CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Brodie played on the Senior PGA Tour and had 12 top 10 finishes, including a win at the 1991 Security Pacific Senior Classic.
—Trevor Woods, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Sited on the sixth floor, the unit features two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a powder room in a little more than 2,000 square feet boasting white oak parquet floors, 10-foot ceilings, and bespoke finishes created exclusively for the space, plus top-of-the-line home-automation and climate systems.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finishes
Verb
-
The warehouse completes a full closed-loop auto-material flow system that moves information on raw materials, panels, parts, garments and final shipments seamlessly through the production logic model.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The company completes flight demonstrations frequently at the Monterey Bay Academy Airport, near the coast in Watsonville.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Big and bold, this is often the museum that visitors talk about long after their Chicago trip ends.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The standoff ends when Lynch extends his left arm toward Bradley with the weapon in his hand, causing the officer to fire his service weapon once and Liu to fire two shots.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After the initial stomach issues subside, the toxin continues to invade the liver cells and stops them from making RNA (ribonucleic acid), which the body needs to make healing and protective proteins.—
Amy McGorry,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
In turn, breathing nearly stops, and its brain activity becomes barely detectable.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Regardless, Super Bowl 49 easily had one of the most iconic endings in NFL history.—
Steve Bradshaw,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
There were no fairy-tale endings in Love Is Blind season 9, but that was four whole months ago.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The abrupt disruption resulted in chip shortages and production halts at several automakers.—
Sarah Jacob,
Bloomberg,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Conflict in Yemen has prompted air traffic halts — leaving about 600 tourists stranded on a remote island.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The White House on Monday sought to distance itself from those comments, declining to draw conclusions publicly until the investigation concludes.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The White House on Monday sought to distance itself from those comments, declining to draw conclusions publicly until the investigation concludes.—
Stephen Gruber-Miller,
Des Moines Register,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The back-and-forth will result in at least a short government shutdown; funding for large swaths of the government expires on Saturday and the House likely won’t approve it until Monday at the earliest.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The city council's goal is to have everything finalized before the city's Flock contract expires at the end of March.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In at least five major cases, officials appeared to make public declarations about the incidents before formal investigations had reached final conclusions about those assertions.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Without that distinction, conclusions can be misleading.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finishes. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
