finish unsuccessfully

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "finish unsuccessfully" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe the outcome of an attempt or effort that did not achieve the desired result. Example: "Despite their best efforts, the team had to accept that they would finish unsuccessfully in the competition."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

BOSSA_JOB_INCONCLUSIVE: the job has finished unsuccessfully (typically because a consensus was not reached).

University of California, Berkeley

It seems that moments after Bendtner's Arsenal team-mates finished fighting unsuccessfully for their Big Cup lives against Bayern Munich, Bendtner and other chums began fighting unsuccessfully with a stationary vehicle.

The Guardian - Sport

And after an election in 2004 did not produce a party with a voting majority in Parliament, Mr. Harper, whose party finished second, unsuccessfully sought an arrangement with the Bloc Québécois and the New Democrats in order to take power.

The New York Times

This new version opens, not with a group of actors rehearsing a play as in the original; but rather, with a small team of documentary-makers trying, unsuccessfully, to finish a potentially controversial film.

The Guardian

She finished the year competing unsuccessfully for the WWF Women's Championship numerous times, and leaving Test and Albert when the team disbanded.

Wikipedia

Mr. Hackeling, who left the Legislature two years ago to run unsuccessfully for a judgeship, finished fourth among seven candidates for two seats on the Huntington Town Board.

The New York Times

The Warrior stopped him, and both wrestlers unsuccessfully attempted to perform their finishing moves.

Wikipedia

They ran unsuccessfully during the last election.

Los Angeles Times

In 1987, he unsuccessfully sought another term as governor, finishing fifth in the Democratic primary behind Lieutenant Governor Steve Beshear, former governor John Y. Brown, Jr., Grady Stumbo, and the winner, Wallace G. Wilkinson.

Wikipedia

Upon finishing high school, Clarkson moved to Los Angeles, where she unsuccessfully tried to break into show business.

Encyclopedia Britannica

It is fair to say that he would have been surprised at Speed's remarks, especially so as it is believed that Procter, along with senior figures from both the respective cricket boards, attempted unsuccessfully to persuade Hair to rescind his decision to finish the match on a technicality, an outcome that Speed was equally unable to achieve.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "finish unsuccessfully", ensure the context clearly indicates what the subject was attempting to complete and why the completion was unsuccessful. This will avoid ambiguity and strengthen the impact of your statement.

Common error

While grammatically sound, "finish unsuccessfully" can sometimes sound awkward in very formal contexts. Consider using more polished alternatives like "fail to complete" or "end without success" for a more refined tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "finish unsuccessfully" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb to describe the manner in which an action was completed, or rather, not completed. It specifies that the action of finishing something was attempted but did not yield the intended result. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

News & Media

34%

Academia

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "finish unsuccessfully" is grammatically correct and understandable, meaning that an attempt to complete something ended without success. While Ludwig AI confirms its correctness, the phrase is not very common, with no exact example found in the provided data. Alternatives like "fail to complete" or "end in failure" may be more appropriate depending on the context. The phrase leans towards a neutral to formal register and is suitable for professional or news-related writing, though it may sound somewhat awkward in very informal settings. Ensure the context clearly indicates what was attempted and why it was unsuccessful to avoid ambiguity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fail to complete

Emphasizes the lack of completion rather than the unsuccessful nature of the attempt.

end in failure

Focuses on the result being a failure, implying a lack of success at the end.

conclude without success

Highlights the lack of a positive outcome at the conclusion.

not succeed in finishing

Specifically points out the absence of success in the act of finishing.

fall short of completion

Implies a deficiency in reaching the stage of completion.

be unable to finish

Highlights the inability to reach the end or completion.

terminate without a positive outcome

Suggests an ending without a successful result.

prove abortive in completion

Uses a more formal tone to suggest failure during completion.

come to naught in its conclusion

Emphasizes that the efforts or plans were fruitless upon completion.

end up falling short

Highlights a failure of not reaching the intended purpose.

FAQs

How can I use "finish unsuccessfully" in a sentence?

You can use "finish unsuccessfully" to describe situations where an attempt to complete something ends without success. For example: "Despite their efforts, the team had to accept that they would "finish unsuccessfully" in the competition.".

What are some alternatives to "finish unsuccessfully"?

Alternatives include "fail to complete", "end in failure", or "conclude without success".

Is it better to say "failed to finish" or "finish unsuccessfully"?

"Failed to finish" is generally more direct and commonly used. "Finish unsuccessfully" is grammatically correct but can sound somewhat formal or awkward depending on the context.

What does it mean to "finish unsuccessfully"?

To "finish unsuccessfully" means that an attempt to complete a task or endeavor did not achieve the desired outcome or completion, resulting in a failure to reach a successful conclusion.