photo finish

noun

Sports.

1. a finish of a race in which two or more contestants are so close to the finish line that reference to a photograph of the finish is necessary to determine the winner.

photo finish

noun

1. a finish of a race in which contestants are so close that a photograph is needed to decide the result

2. any race or competition in which the winners or placed contestants are separated by a very small margin

Other Word Forms

• photo-finish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of photo finish¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

In a photo finish for the NL’s final wild card berth, all the Reds needed was a win against the Milwaukee Brewers, or a Mets loss.

From Los Angeles Times

Great Britain's Jeremiah Azu sprinted to 60m gold in a dramatic photo finish at the World Athletics Indoor Championships to secure the first global title of his career.

From BBC

Knight's Choice has won Australia's famous Melbourne Cup, in a dramatically close race which went to a photo finish.

From BBC

The race is where it seemed to be headed at the beginning of the year – a photo finish where either candidate could end up on top.

From BBC

Since then, Harris’s campaign has had ups and downs, and is now locked in what is shaping up to be a photo finish next week.

From BBC