finish

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "finish" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to express the idea of reaching the end of a process, task, or activity. For example, "I just finished painting the fence".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"For customers intending to start or finish their journey at King's Cross, consideration should be given to deferring travel plans to either Sunday or Monday.

The Guardian - Business

"It is untrue from start to finish, and was quite likely dreamt up by the Labour press office.

The Guardian

But let us finish on a positive note.

The Guardian

But seven unanswered goals from the Swans closed the margin to just three points midway through the final term, ensuring for a frantic finish.

The Guardian - Sport

Other features include automatically emailing you when your builds finish, and updating the widget on GitHub pull requests with the build status.

The Guardian

Dortmund had stormed through the group stage, losing only one match to finish ahead of Arsenal, but have struggled domestically.

The Guardian - Sport

Formally, Valencia still have a €230m debt and face a significant challenge to finish the new stadium, if they do ultimately do so, and sell the old one.

The Guardian - Sport

"We didn't receive any signed order saying we were going to finish operations on 1 November," Foffi said.

The Guardian

Ancelotti added weight to his frontline by replacing the midfielder Thiago Motta with Gameiro and the newcomer's tricky dribble caused enough confusion in the Valencia defence to allow Lavezzi to finish.

The Guardian - Sport

The People's Palace is directly opposite, providing a splendid finish to Glasgow's East End, which is (like the rest of Glasgow) both magically historic and buzzing with up-and-coming culture.

The Guardian - Travel

Yet in a finish as wild as it was improbable, the US pulled off their first ever win over Holland.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "finish" in a formal context, consider stronger synonyms like "complete" or "conclude" to enhance the professional tone.

Common error

Avoid using "finish" when the past participle "finished" is required. For instance, say "I have finished my work" instead of "I have finish my work".

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "finish" is as a verb, indicating the action of bringing something to an end or completing a task. Ludwig confirms this usage through numerous examples of "finish" used to describe the completion of various activities.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Sport

25%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "finish" is a versatile verb denoting the completion or termination of something. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is grammatically correct and widely used. While suitable for many contexts, consider more formal synonyms like "complete" or "conclude" for enhanced precision. Be mindful of using "finished" as the past tense or participle. Ludwig's analysis reveals its frequent usage in News & Media and Sports reporting, emphasizing its broad applicability and neutral register.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

end

A more general term for reaching a termination point.

be over

Describes the state of something having reached its end.

complete

Focuses on the act of bringing something to a fully realized state.

finalize

Emphasizes making something complete and ready for use or implementation.

draw to a close

Indicates a gradual ending.

conclude

Implies bringing something to a formal end, often after deliberation.

bring to a close

A more descriptive way of saying "end" or "finish".

terminate

Suggests a more abrupt or formal ending.

wrap up

An informal way to describe bringing something to a close.

put the lid on

An idiomatic expression indicating the end of something.

FAQs

How can I use "finish" in a sentence?

You can use "finish" in a sentence to indicate the completion of an action, for example, "Please "finish" your homework" or "The song has "finished"".

What's a more formal way to say "finish"?

In formal contexts, you can replace "finish" with alternatives such as "complete", "conclude", or "finalize" depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

What is the difference between "finish" and "end"?

"Finish" implies completing a task or process, while "end" simply means reaching a termination point, without necessarily implying completion.

When should I use "finished" instead of "finish"?

Use "finished" as the past tense or past participle of "finish". For example, "I finished the report yesterday" or "I have finished reading the book". Use "finish" as the base verb form: "I need to finish this task".