(~es, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
When you ~ doing or dealing with something, you do or deal with the last part of it, so that there is no more for you to do or deal with.
As soon as he’d ~ed eating, he excused himself...
Mr Gould was given a standing ovation and loud cheers when he ~ed his speech...
VERB: V n/-ing, V n/-ing
•
Finish up means the same as ~ . (AM)
We waited a few minutes outside his office while he ~ed up his meeting.
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron)
2.
When you ~ something that you are making or producing, you reach the end of making or producing it, so that it is complete.
The consultants had been working to ~ a report this week.
= complete
VERB: V n
•
Finish off and, in American English, ~ up mean the same as ~ .
Now she is busy ~ing off a biography of Queen Caroline.
...the amount of stuff required to ~ up a movie.
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V P n (not pron)
3.
When something such as a course, film, or sale ~es, especially at a planned time, it ends.
The teaching day ~es at around 4pm...
When a play ~es its run, many of the costumes are hired out to amateur dramatics companies and schools.
= end
VERB: V at/on/by n, V n, also V
4.
You say that someone or something ~es a period of time or an event in a particular way to indicate what the final situation was like. You can also say that a period of time or an event ~es in a particular way.
The two of them ~ed by kissing each other goodbye...
The evening ~ed with the welcoming of three new members...
The American dollar ~ed the day up against foreign currencies...
The last track ~es this compilation beautifully.
VERB: V by -ing, V with n, V n adj/adv, V n adj/adv, also V n by -ing, V n prep, V prep
5.
If someone ~es second, for example, in a race or competition, they are in second place at the end of the race or competition.
He ~ed second in the championship four years in a row.
VERB: V ord/prep
6.
To ~ means to reach the end of saying something.
Her eyes flashed, but he held up a hand. ‘Let me ~.’
VERB: V
7.
The ~ of something is the end of it or the last part of it.
I intend to continue it and see the job through to the ~...
From start to ~ he believed in me, often more than I did myself.
= end
N-SING: the N, with poss
8.
The ~ of a race is the end of it.
Win a trip to see the ~ of the Tour de France!...
The replays of the close ~ showed Ottey ~ed ahead of the Olympic champion.
N-COUNT
9.
If the surface of something that has been made has a particular kind of ~, it has the appearance or texture mentioned.
The ~ and workmanship of the woodwork was excellent.
N-COUNT: usu with supp
10.
see also ~ed
11.
If you add the ~ing touches to something, you add or do the last things that are necessary to complete it.
Right up until the last minute, workers were still putting the ~ing touches on the pavilions...
PHRASE: N inflects