photo finish

noun

1

: a race or finish in which contestants are so close that a photograph of them as they cross the finish line has to be examined to determine the winner

2

: a close contest

Examples of photo finish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Briscoe held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell to win his second straight NASCAR playoff race in a photo finish on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, vaulting him into contention to earn his first Cup Series championship. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026

But these data don't suggest a photo finish on the initiative come November so much as a rout. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

For the first time in the history of photo finishes a triple dead heat for first place is recorded, at Willow’s Park, Victoria, British Columbia. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

The 29-year-old Lyles won gold in the 100 at Paris in a photo finish, narrowly edging out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and becoming the first American man to win the Olympic sprint since Justin Gatlin in 2004. — Zack Pierce, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for photo finish

• diminish
• finnish
• minish

Kids Definition

photo finish

noun

1

: a finish of a race in which contestants are so close that a photograph of them crossing the finish line has to be examined to decide the winner

2

: a close contest (as in an election)