What is Finish? What is End? Differences between Finish and End in English

Structure

Meaning

Example

finish something

complete something

Andrew managed to finish the book in just one day. 

finish somebody

to make somebody so tired or impatient that they cannot do any more

Alexander finished his opponent with a powerful knockout punch. 

finish doing something

to stop doing something or making something because it is complete

After hours of hard work, Arnold finally finished building the house. 

finish by doing something

The chef finished the dish by garnishing it with fresh herbs. 

finish with something

to come to an end; to bring something to an end

Brian finished the letter with a heartfelt message of gratitude. 

finish something off 

to complete the last part of something that you are doing

They worked late into the night to finish off the project before the deadline. 

finish something up

to be in a particular state/ place that you are in finally

Chad just needs a few more minutes to finish up this report. 

Word/phrase/

idiom 

Meaning

Example

at the end (of)

the part of a place or thing that is furthest away from the centre

They found a hidden treasure chest at the end of the winding maze. 

in the end

finally, after something has been thought about or discussed a lot

After all the difficulties, they managed to complete the project in the end. 

the end of

the part of a place or thing that is furthest away from the centre

The end of the movie leaves the audience in tears. 

end to end

arranged with one end of next to the end of something else

The company provides end-to-end solutions for IT infrastructure. 

no end to

very much

There seems to be no end to Robert's talent; he excels in various fields. 

come to an end

to finish

The summer vacation has come to an end, and it's time to go back to school. 

put an end to 

cause someone or something to stop existing

The government is determined to put an end to illegal activities in the area. 

bring something to an end

to make something finish

The negotiations have been long and challenging, but we finally brought them to an end with a fair agreement. 

by the end of something

the time or place that something finishes

By the end of the month, we should have all the necessary data for the report. 

towards the end (of something)

Towards the end of the party, people started saying their goodbyes. 

until the end of something

The discount is valid until the end of the month, so make sure to take advantage of it. 

from beginning to end

from start to finish

Stephen read the novel from beginning to end in just one sitting; it was that engaging. 

on the end of something

the part of a place or thing that is furthest away from the centre

The prize is located on the end of the bookshelf, next to the globe. 

at the end of the day

something that you say before you give the most important fact of a situation

At the end of the day, it's all about doing what makes you happy. 

at the end of someone's tether

having no strength or patience left

After a long day of work, Titus was at the end of his tether and needed a break.

make ends meet

to have just enough money to pay for the things that you need

With the rising cost of living, it can be challenging to make ends meet on a tight budget. 

end in sight

destination can be seen

After months of hard work, there is finally an end in sight for the project. 

not/never hear the end of it

someone is repeatedly going to speak proudly, disapprovingly, etc. about something

I let him win once at a game of chess and now I never hear the end of it. 

not the end of the world

not the worst thing that could happen

Don't worry if you didn't get the job; it's not the end of the world. 

Finish 

End

Meaning

Finish is typically used to refer to the action of completing or finishing a task, duty, activity or event.

End has a more general or overall meaning, and can indicate the finishing or concluding point of a period, occurrence, activity or thing.

Example

After finishing my homework, I normally go out with my friends. 

The end of the film makes me cry. 

Synonyms 

Example

Complete

Nadia completed the marathon in record time. 

Conclude

The meeting concluded with a decision to proceed with the project. 

Wrap up

Let's wrap up this task and move on to the next one. 

Fulfill

Evelyn fulfilled all the requirements for the job. 

Accomplish

They accomplished their goal of winning the championship. 

Terminate

The agreement was terminated immediately. 

Close

The hospital closed at the end of last year.