photo finish

American  

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.

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photo finish British  

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

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Other Word Forms

• photo-finish adjective

Etymology

Origin of photo finish

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

So it likely comes down to these two, and the stakes are chillingly high for such a photo finish.

From Slate • Mar. 23, 2026

Their ticket purchases pushed “Iron Lung” into a photo finish for No. 1 against “Send Help,” a strongly marketed release from Disney’s 20th Century Studios.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

Redknapp and Pauling as well as jockey Ben Jones spent a nervy few miniutes waiting on the photo finish before his number eight was called -- winning by just a nose.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

Former world champion Asher-Smith edged the women's race in a dramatic photo finish, holding off 100m winner Amy Hunt to triumph in 22.14 seconds.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2025

Incredibly, Woolf’s timing was so good that he rode for more than a decade before he was beaten in a photo finish of a stakes race.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand