narrowly finished

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "narrowly finished" is not commonly used in written English and may be confusing.
It could be used to describe something that was completed with little margin or just barely, but it is not a standard expression. Example: "The race was intense, and I narrowly finished in first place, just ahead of my competitor."

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The 22-year-old narrowly finished second in the 200m hurdles at the Great City Games in Manchester on Saturday.

BBC

Lieu, a state senator, narrowly finished ahead of fellow Democrat Wendy Greuel in June's open primary.

Huffington Post

Štimac's managerial campaign was unsuccessful, as the team endured a succession of poor performances and narrowly finished second in their 2014 World Cup qualifying group.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

He has spent the last two days repeatedly dodging questions about what he will do if he narrowly finishes second.

The Guardian

In lots of ways, those 140km in torrential rain, chasing the best cyclist of her generation – and only narrowly finishing behind her – is the easy bit.

The Guardian - Sport

He said that after narrowly finishing with a silver in his first race of the evening, the 200m butterfly, he wanted to pay tribute to his team-mates ahead of the race.

The Guardian - Sport

Lewis Hamilton topped the first and second practice sessions in Abu Dhabi on Friday, narrowly finishing ahead of his world title challenger and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg on both occasions.

The Guardian - Sport

Exit polls showed that Mr. Giuliani did not even have a clear edge among voters who were most concerned about his signature issue, terrorism; incomplete returns Tuesday night showed him narrowly finishing ahead of Mr. Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, who barely campaigned in Florida.

The New York Times

Sun 11 Dec 11: Pakistan narrowly avoided finishing last at the 2011 Champions Trophy.

BBC

As it was, a race that started by narrowly avoiding human disaster, finished by a narrowly won first victory in his home race for the reigning, three-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel — by just 1.0 second over Kimi Raikkonen in a Lotus.

The New York Times - Sports

In Kentucky and Louisiana, where Trump finished narrowly ahead of Cruz, Rubio recorded two more third-place finishes.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "narrowly finished" when you want to emphasize how close the result was. For example, in sports reporting or election analysis.

Common error

Avoid using "narrowly finished" in highly formal or academic writing. Opt for more precise language like "concluded with minimal difference" or "achieved by a small margin" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "narrowly finished" functions as an adverbial modifier describing the verb, indicating how something was finished. It emphasizes the proximity of the result. Ludwig's examples show its use in describing sporting outcomes and political races.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "narrowly finished" is an acceptable, though relatively uncommon, way to describe a close result or outcome. While grammatically sound, Ludwig AI suggests it may be considered slightly informal for very formal contexts. It's most frequently found in news and media sources, and its purpose is to emphasize the small margin separating success from failure. Consider alternatives like "barely completed" or "just managed to finish" to convey similar meanings with potentially broader applicability.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

barely completed

Emphasizes the minimal margin by which something was finished.

only just finished

Emphasizes how close to not finishing something was.

marginally ended

Similar to the query phrase, using different wording.

just managed to finish

Highlights the effort required to finish, with a close call.

almost completed

Indicates nearness of competition and the struggle for finish.

scraped through to the end

Indicates a difficult finish, suggesting a struggle.

succeeded by a hair's breadth

Stresses the extremely small margin of success.

closely concluded

Implies a tightly contested competition.

eked out a finish

Suggests a minimal and perhaps insufficient finish.

virtually completed

Highlights the almost complete status of something.

FAQs

How can I use "narrowly finished" in a sentence?

You can use "narrowly finished" to describe situations where the outcome was very close. For example, "The athlete "narrowly finished" first in the race."

What are some alternatives to "narrowly finished"?

Some alternatives include "barely completed", "just managed to finish", or "closely concluded" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

When is it appropriate to use "narrowly finished"?

It is appropriate to use "narrowly finished" in contexts where you want to emphasize the slim margin of victory or completion, such as in sports, elections, or competitive events.

Is "narrowly finished" formal or informal?

"Narrowly finished" is generally considered neutral to slightly informal. In highly formal contexts, consider using phrases like "concluded by a small margin" or "completed with minimal difference" for a more polished tone.