- [countable, usually singular] the last part or the end of something
- It was a close finish as they had predicted.
- They won in the end but it was a tight finish.
- finish to something a dramatic finish to the race
- The story was a lie from start to finish.
- to the finish I want to see the job through to the finish.
- at the finish Several runners needed medical attention at the finish.
Extra Examples- He won a hard uphill finish at the recent Tour de Suisse.
- Her car suffered from gearbox trouble, but she was still in at the finish.
- It was the perfect finish to a wonderful day.
- The rules of the game were changed to provide a more exciting finish for the television audience.
- The runners came around the bend for a sprint finish in the home straight.
- They fought bravely right to the finish.
- He led the race from start to finish.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- exciting
- fantastic
- good
- …
- be in at
- line
- at the finish
- to a/the finish
- finish to
- …
- from start to finish
Definitions on the go
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- [countable, usually singular] (usually in compounds) the position in which a person or team finishes a competition
- a second-/third-/fourth-place finish
- The team are aiming for a top-five finish.
Extra Examples- Last month in Canada she had her first podium finish.
- His best finish was 11th in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
- The team had another last-place finish.
- [countable, uncountable] the last layer of paint, polish, etc. that is put onto the surface of something; the condition of the surface
- a gloss/matt finish
- furniture available in a range of finishes
- to apply extra coats of finish
Extra ExamplesTopics Artc1- a guitar with a natural wood finish
- a door handle with a brass finish
- With our new tool for putting up wallpaper you can get a perfect finish every time.
- This paint has a gloss finish.
- The walls have a faux finish that mimics old plaster walls.
- The wall has been painted to match the finish of the original.
- The wall and floor finishes are all of the highest standard.
- The steel roof has been coloured to match the finish of the original wrought iron.
- Sand the wood to a fine finish using steel wool.
- Make sure the surface is clean and smooth before the finish is applied.
- How did you achieve that finish on the wood?
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- neat
- perfect
- …
- have
- achieve
- get
- …
- coat
- to a finish
- with a finish
- finish on
- …
- [countable, uncountable] the final details that are added to something to make it complete
- The bows will give a feminine finish to the curtains.
- This trim really does give the garment a professional finish.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- neat
- perfect
- …
- have
- achieve
- get
- …
- coat
- to a finish
- with a finish
- finish on
- …
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French feniss-, lengthened stem of fenir, from Latin finire, from finis ‘end’.
Idioms
See finish in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee finish in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englisha fight to the finish
- a sports competition, election, etc. between sides that are so equal in ability that they continue fighting very hard until the end
- Six teams are bitter rivals in what will be a fight to the finish.
- If the polls are wrong and it's a fight to the finish, the result may not be known until all the votes have been counted.
Check pronunciation:
finish