60 Idioms for Finishing Something

Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different from the literal words inside them. People use them to make talking and writing much more colorful, expressive, and clear. In this lesson, you will learn sixty helpful idioms related to the topic of finishing something completely.

In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for finishing something that mean completing tasks, reaching the end, and wrapping up projects. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.

Idioms for Finishing Something

1. Cross the finish line

Meaning: To successfully complete a task, race, or project after working hard.

For Example: We worked all afternoon on our science poster and finally crossed the finish line. / Writing the last sentence of my essay meant I crossed the finish line.

Other Ways to Say: Complete the project / Reach the end

2. Wrap it up

Meaning: To finish an activity or bring a project to a close.

For Example: The teacher told us to wrap it up and put our art supplies away. / Let us wrap it up so we can go outside for recess.

Other Ways to Say: Finish up / Bring to close

3. Call it a day

Meaning: To decide to stop working on a task and finish for the time being.

For Example: After cleaning the garage for two hours, we decided to call it a day. / The sun was setting, so the workers called it a day.

Other Ways to Say: Stop working / Finish for now

4. Down to the wire

Meaning: A situation where a task is finished right at the very last second.

For Example: Completing my math test went down to the wire before the bell rang. / The science project deadline went right down to the wire.

Other Ways to Say: Last second / Final moments

5. Put the finishing touches

Meaning: To add final small details to complete a project perfectly.

For Example: She placed a star sticker on her poster to put the finishing touches on it. / We put the finishing touches on our Lego castle before dinner.

Other Ways to Say: Add final details / Complete nicely

6. Nail down

Meaning: To finalize the details and successfully complete a plan or agreement.

For Example: We need to nail down our science presentation topic by Tuesday morning. / He helped nail down the final rules for our club game.

Other Ways to Say: Finalize details / Secure plan

7. Seal the deal

Meaning: To complete an agreement or finish a arrangement successfully.

For Example: Shaking hands helped the two teams seal the deal on the trade. / Buying the supplies helped us seal the deal for our club project.

Other Ways to Say: Finalize agreement / Complete bargain

8. Dot your i’s and cross your t’s

Meaning: To complete a task carefully by checking all final details.

For Example: Before turning in your essay, make sure you dot your i’s and cross your t’s. / She checked her math answers twice to dot her i’s and cross her t’s.

Other Ways to Say: Check details / Finish carefully

9. Bring home the bacon

Meaning: To complete a goal successfully and achieve victory or earnings.

For Example: Our school soccer team worked hard all season to bring home the bacon. / Winning the science competition helped her bring home the bacon.

Other Ways to Say: Succeed fully / Achieve goal

10. Pull off

Meaning: To successfully complete a difficult task or surprise project.

For Example: We managed to pull off a wonderful surprise birthday party for mom. / Solving the complex puzzle was hard, but we pulled it off.

Other Ways to Say: Succeed at / Accomplish well

11. Clear the board

Meaning: To finish all tasks or win every single game completely.

For Example: After finishing all my chores, I could clear the board and play games. / Winning every match let our team clear the board.

Other Ways to Say: Finish all / Win everything

12. Tie up loose ends

Meaning: To finish the final small remaining tasks of a project.

For Example: We spent ten minutes tying up loose ends before turning in our report. / Make sure you tie up loose ends on your poster board.

Other Ways to Say: Finish small tasks / Complete remaining details

13. Drive home

Meaning: To make a final point completely clear and understood by everyone.

For Example: The coach repeated the safety rules to drive home the lesson. / Her closing speech helped drive home her main idea.

Other Ways toSay: Make clear / Complete point

14. Turn the page

Meaning: To finish an old chapter of life and move forward to something new.

For Example: Graduating to middle school meant it was time to turn the page. / Closing the old journal let her turn the page on the past.

Other Ways toSay: Move forward / Next chapter

15. Round out

Meaning: To finish or complete something by adding final balanced elements.

For Example: Reading one more chapter will round out our book report nicely. / Adding green trees to the drawing helped round out the artwork.

Other Ways toSay: Complete nicely / Finish balance

16. Put the lid on

Meaning: To finally complete and close a project or discussion.

For Example: We voted on the club rules to put the lid on the debate. / Finishing the final painting put the lid on our art project.

Other Ways toSay: Close discussion / Finish completely

17. Stick a fork in it, it is done

Meaning: A humorous way to say that a task or food is completely finished.

For Example: After baking the cookies for twenty minutes, we said, stick a fork in it, it is done. / The report was fully written, so stick a fork in it, it was done.

Other Ways toSay: Completely finished / All done

18. Reach the finish line

Meaning: To successfully arrive at the completion of a long task.

For Example: Writing the final paragraph helped us reach the finish line of our essay. / Running the last lap let him reach the finish line.

Other Ways toSay: Complete journey / Arrive at end

19. Finish with a flourish

Meaning: To complete a task with an impressive, stylish ending.

For Example: She painted a bright star to finish her art project with a flourish. / The pianist played the final notes to finish with a flourish.

Other Ways toSay: Grand finish / Stylish end

20. Crown your efforts

Meaning: To successfully complete a project and achieve a rewarding result.

For Example: Winning the ribbon helped crown our efforts on the science fair model. / Getting a good grade helped crown our efforts in studying.

Other Ways toSay: Reward success / Finish well

21. Put the cap on

Meaning: To finish something with a final, successful touch.

For Example: Winning the final game put the cap on an amazing soccer season. / Adding the red roof put the cap on our model house.

Other Ways toSay: Finish successfully / Top off

22. Top it off

Meaning: To finish a project or meal with a great final addition.

For Example: We ate ice cream to top it off after finishing our yard chores. / Adding a cherry helped top off the delicious birthday cake.

Other Ways toSay: Finish off / Add final touch

23. Bring to a close

Meaning: To finish an event, meeting, or activity peacefully.

For Example: The librarian rang a bell to bring story time to a close. / We decided to bring our meeting to a close before lunch.

Other Ways toSay: End activity / Finish meeting

24. Ring down the curtain

Meaning: To finish a project or show permanently.

For Example: The final performance let the actors ring down the curtain on the play. / Finishing our last club meeting rang down the curtain for the year.

Other Ways toSay: Final end / Conclusion

25. Put to bed

Meaning: To finish and finalize a plan, report, or project successfully.

For Example: We finally managed to put the messy newsletter project to bed. / After checking all facts, the editor put the story to bed.

Other Ways toSay: Finalize project / Complete task

26. Complete the circle

Meaning: To finish a journey or project by returning to where you started.

For Example: Visiting our old kindergarten classroom helped complete the circle of elementary school. / Finishing our final painting helped complete the circle of art lessons.

Other Ways toSay: Finish loop / Full circle

27. Hit the home stretch

Meaning: To be in the final, concluding stage of finishing a project.

For Example: Writing the last page of my report meant we were in the home stretch. / With only one mile left of the hike, we hit the home stretch.

Other Ways toSay: Final stage / Almost done

28. Final countdown

Meaning: The last few moments before a task is completely finished.

For Example: With ten seconds left on the clock, we entered the final countdown. / Crossing off the last day started our final countdown to summer.

Other Ways toSay: Last moments / Final seconds

29. Ring the bell

Meaning: To signal the successful completion or start of something.

For Example: Solving the tricky math riddle felt like ringing the bell of success. / Finishing the race let everyone ring the bell of victory.

Other Ways toSay: Signal success / Mark completion

30. Clear the desk

Meaning: To finish all paperwork and assignments so your workspace is clean.

For Example: Once we turned in our tests, we could clear the desk and relax. / Friday afternoon meant time to clear the desk before weekend games.

Other Ways toSay: Clean workspace / Finish paperwork

31. Cut the ribbon

Meaning: To officially open or complete a brand new project or building.

For Example: The principal got to cut the ribbon for the new school library. / We celebrated when the club president cut the ribbon on the clubhouse.

Other Ways toSay: Official opening / Grand finish

32. Bring home the win

Meaning: To finish a competition successfully with a victory.

For Example: Our basketball team played hard to bring home the win. / Scoring the final point helped us bring home the win.

Other Ways toSay: Secure victory / Win game

33. Cross the t’s

Meaning: To finish checking the final minor details of an assignment.

For Example: Make sure you cross the t’s on your spelling worksheet before turning it in. / He spent a minute to cross his t’s on the essay.

Other Ways toSay: Check details / Finish writing

34. Dot the i’s

Meaning: To add the final precise touches to complete a task correctly.

For Example: She took extra care to dot the i’s on her poster lettering. / Dotting the i’s made the art project look neat and finished.

Other Ways toSay: Add final touches / Complete details

35. Make the grade

Meaning: To finish a task well enough to meet required standards of success.

For Example: Studying hard helped my science project make the grade. / His drawing was detailed enough to make the grade for the art show.

Other Ways toSay: Succeed / Meet standard

36. Clear the hurdle

Meaning: To successfully finish a difficult test or obstacle in a project.

For Example: Passing the math quiz felt like we cleared a major hurdle. / Once we cleared the hurdle of writing the essay, printing was easy.

Other Ways toSay: Overcome obstacle / Pass test

37. Graduate with honors

Meaning: To finish school studies with top academic achievement.

For Example: My older cousin worked hard to graduate with honors from high school. / Earning top grades let her graduate with honors.

Other Ways toSay: Finish top / Academic success

38. Bring to fruition

Meaning: To successfully complete a plan and see it turn into reality.

For Example: Months of planning helped bring our school garden project to fruition. / Working together helped bring our play idea to fruition.

Other Ways toSay: Realize plan / Complete successfully

39. Seal it with a kiss

Meaning: A playful way to finish a friendly letter or note.

For Example: She signed her greeting card and decided to seal it with a kiss. / Writing notes to friends often ended with a cute seal it with a kiss.

Other Ways toSay: Friendly sign-off / Sweet ending

40. Write the final chapter

Meaning: To finish the very last part of a long project or experience.

For Example: Winning our last game helped us write the final chapter of the season. / Handing in our final papers meant we wrote the final chapter of fifth grade.

Other Ways toSay: Final part / End of story

41. Bring down the house

Meaning: To finish a performance with roaring applause and huge success.

For Example: The funny comedy sketch helped the students bring down the house. / Our music class song managed to bring down the house.

Other Ways toSay: Great success / Huge applause

42. Put the finishing touch

Meaning: To add the last piece that makes a creation completely finished.

For Example: Placing the cherry on top was the final finishing touch for the pie. / Gluing the last star put the finishing touch on the mobile.

Other Ways toSay: Last detail / Final addition

43. Finish strong

Meaning: To maintain your energy and effort right until a task is completed.

For Example: Even though we were tired, our team decided to finish strong in the race. / Keep working hard and finish strong on your test.

Other Ways toSay: End well / Maintain effort

44. Close the book on

Meaning: To finish and put an end to a situation or project permanently.

For Example: Winning the tournament let us close the book on our basketball season. / It is time to close the book on this old argument.

Other Ways toSay: End permanently / Move past

45. Reach the summit

Meaning: To successfully finish a difficult climb or major project goal.

For Example: Hiking up the steep trail let us reach the summit by noon. / Finishing our complex model felt like we reached the summit.

Other Ways toSay: Achieve peak / Reach goal

46. Ring the bell of success

Meaning: To celebrate the happy completion of a major task.

For Example: Finishing our community cleanup let us ring the bell of success. / Passing all exams meant ringing the bell of success.

Other Ways toSay: Celebrate victory / Mark completion

47. Drop the curtain

Meaning: To bring a final finish to an event or project.

For Example: The final school bell helped drop the curtain on a busy Monday. / We clapped as the teacher decided to drop the curtain on the game.

Other Ways toSay: End event / Finish up

48. Hit the nail squarely

Meaning: To complete an explanation with absolute accuracy.

For Example: His summary of the story hit the nail squarely on its meaning. / You hit the nail squarely when you guessed the puzzle answer.

Other Ways toSay: Be exact / Finish precisely

49. Put a period at the end

Meaning: To finish a sentence or a project with finality.

For Example: He wrote his name and put a period at the end of his essay. / Making that final rule helped put a period at the end of the discussion.

Other Ways toSay: Finalize / End firmly

50. Turn the last page

Meaning: To finish reading a book or complete the final part of an era.

For Example: We felt sad to turn the last page of our favorite adventure novel. / Turning the last page of our calendar meant summer was here.

Other Ways toSay: Finish reading / Final leaf

51. Sail into port

Meaning: To finish a journey smoothly and arrive safely at your destination.

For Example: Our boat managed to sail into port right before the storm began. / Finishing our project smoothly felt like sailing into port.

Other Ways toSay: Arrive safely / Smooth finish

52. Strike the final chord

Meaning: To finish a musical piece or project with a memorable ending.

For Example: The guitar player struck the final chord to end the school song. / We struck the final chord on our presentation with a great summary.

Other Ways toSay: Memorable end / Final note

53. Bring down the curtain on

Meaning: To finish and conclude an era or activity permanently.

For Example: Graduation day helped bring down the curtain on elementary school. / We brought down the curtain on our club meetings until autumn.

Other Ways toSay: Conclude permanently / End era

54. Land the plane

Meaning: A modern expression meaning to bring a long discussion or project to a close.

For Example: The teacher told the chatty group it was time to land the plane. / He talked for ten minutes before finally landing the plane on his idea.

Other Ways toSay: Finish talking / Wrap up

55. Draw the curtain

Meaning: To bring a final finish to a project or performance.

For Example: The stage crew rushed to draw the curtain after the play ended. / We decided to draw the curtain on our messy art project.

Other Ways toSay: End performance / Finish up

56. Hit the finish tape

Meaning: To break through the ribbon marking the end of a race or task.

For Example: Sprinters pushed their speed to hit the finish tape first. / Finishing our homework let us feel like we hit the finish tape.

Other Ways toSay: Finish race / Break tape

57. Bring home the gold

Meaning: To finish a competition in first place with the ultimate reward.

For Example: Our spelling team practiced hard to bring home the gold. / Winning the relay race helped us bring home the gold.

Other Ways toSay: Win first / Secure gold

58. Complete the puzzle

Meaning: To place the very last piece to finish a jigsaw puzzle.

For Example: We snapped the final corner piece in to complete the puzzle. / Working together helped us complete the puzzle before recess ended.

Other Ways toSay: Finish puzzle / Solve game

59. Put the ribbon on

Meaning: To finish a gift or project with a neat decorative touch.

For Example: She tied a pink bow to put the ribbon on her present. / We added a neat cover page to put the ribbon on our report.

Other Ways toSay: Add decoration / Finish nicely

60. Final stroke

Meaning: The very last brush movement or action to complete a masterpiece.

For Example: He added the blue sky with one final stroke on his painting. / Writing his signature was the final stroke on the artwork.

Other Ways toSay: Last action / Final touch

Exercise to Practice

1. We worked all afternoon on our science poster and finally ________.
2. The teacher told us to ________ and put our art supplies away.
3. After cleaning the garage for two hours, we decided to ________.
4. Completing my math test went ________ before the bell rang.
5. She placed a star sticker on her poster to ________ on it.
6. We need to ________ our science presentation topic by Tuesday morning.
7. Shaking hands helped the two teams ________ on the trade.
8. Before turning in your essay, make sure you ________.
9. Our school soccer team worked hard all season to ________.
10. We managed to ________ a wonderful surprise birthday party for mom.
11. After finishing all my chores, I could ________ and play games.
12. We spent ten minutes ________ before turning in our report.
13. The coach repeated the safety rules to ________ the lesson.
14. Graduating to middle school meant it was time to ________.
15. Reading one more chapter will ________ our book report nicely.

Answer Key

1. crossed the finish line
2. wrap it up
3. call it a day
4. down to the wire
5. put the finishing touches
6. nail down
7. seal the deal
8. dot your i’s and cross your t’s
9. bring home the bacon
10. pull off
11. clear the board
12. tying up loose ends
13. drive home
14. turn the page
15. round out

Conclusion

Learning idioms for finishing something helps make your reading and writing much more colorful, expressive, and clear. By discovering these helpful phrases, you can share your thoughts about completing projects and achieving goals in creative ways with your friends and teachers. Try using a few of these idioms in your daily conversations or school stories today, and see how much more engaging your words become!