grand finale

noun

: a climactic finale (as of an opera)

Example Sentences

All of the performers came on stage for the opera's grand finale. the award for best picture is traditionally the evening's grand finale
Recent Examples on the Web Wednesday night’s hybrid solar eclipse kicks off a flurry of moon-over-the-sun sightings, with an October 2023 annual solar eclipse and the grand finale, a 2024 total solar eclipse across America to follow. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2023 The search for the afikomen, a piece of matzo hidden earlier in the evening, is the Seder’s grand finale. Aliza Abarbanel, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2023 For the grand finale, the athletes dove from multiple heights simultaneously, their successive splashes into the water sounding off like fireworks. Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 28 Jan. 2023 Two scoops of housemade gelato is a grand finale. Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 16 May 2022 Lachie Gill from Team Rita won the series in 2022, after going up against Thando Sikwila from Team Keith, Jordan Tavita from Team Guy and Faith Sosene from Team Jess in the grand finale. Alicia Vrajlal, refinery29.com, 27 Mar. 2023 After battling through two rounds, the winning teams compete in the grand finale for a prize. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Feb. 2023 Ahead of a grand finale performance in Los Angeles, the singer and two additional celebrity judges will coach the trio with one-on-one mentorship sessions. James Dinh, Billboard, 25 Oct. 2022 Which is evident in tonight’s grand finale. Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grand finale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grand finale was in 1784

Dictionary Entries Near grand finale

Cite this Entry

“Grand finale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grand%20finale. Accessed 9 Jun. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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