Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

finishing touch

Idioms  
  1. A small change or addition that serves to complete something. For example, The room still needed a few finishing touches, such as a flower arrangement. This expression is sometimes put as a finishing stroke. [c. 1700]


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

If you have an extra minute or two, you can add a small finishing touch — something that signals, to you, that you’re done.

From Salon May 5, 2026

The finishing touch is a velvet-walled private dining room that’s meant to feel like stepping into a home.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 14, 2026

Gordon was given too much time by Chelsea's sloppy defence and the winger delivered a pin-point cross that invited a finishing touch.

From Barron's Dec. 20, 2025

Stafford’s short scoring strike to Adams in the third quarter put the game out of reach, and Kyren Williams’ short touchdown run early in the fourth provided the finishing touch.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 2, 2025

Or were the lesions merely a finishing touch on being pretty?

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training