polish off

British  

verb

1. to finish or process completely

2. to dispose of or kill; eliminate

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polish off Idioms  

1. Finish or dispose of, especially quickly and easily. For example, We polished off the pie in no time, or If everyone helps, we can polish off this job today. This usage, dating from the early 1800s, came from boxing, where it originally meant “to defeat an opponent quickly and easily.” By the 1830s it was used more generally.

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Example Sentences

There is something magical about seeing Ohtani polish off his first inning on the mound, then immediately grab a bat and head to the plate without ever stopping in the dugout.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

“Paradise” is not “about” climate collapse or nuclear weapons or a giant asteroid or an unstoppable virus, or any of the things that typically polish off the world in postapocalyptic fiction.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2025

A disproportionate number not only did not even passively resist but showed themselves eager to lick the polish off Hitler’s jackboots, if necessary.

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2024

I ended up outpacing the book club and staying up until midnight to polish off “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.”

From New York Times • Jul. 27, 2021

Night after night, she sat at her desk, hoping to polish off some quick, noncommittal little speech.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• finish off
• put away