finish
verb (used with object)
to bring (something) to an end or to completion; complete.
was finishing
-
past progressiveof finish.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Turkle was finishing the footnotes for her upcoming book, “Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
David "Davey" Hearn, 67, was detained by the pool's edge on Friday as he was finishing a long bike ride.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
The NBA was finishing its season in a so-called bubble in Orlando meant to protect against COVID-19.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2026
By Thursday, Tkachuk was finishing up a morning skate in Ontario, where he is the captain of Canada’s most boring NHL franchise, the Ottawa Senators.
From Slate ● Feb. 27, 2026
Sheriff Dean and Sheriff Nagelman approached the grave site just as Shady was finishing his few words of eulogy.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
