semi·fi·nal
ˌse-mē-ˈfī-nᵊl 
ˌse-ˌmī-,
-mi-
1
: being next to the last in an elimination tournament
2
: of or participating in a semifinal
Examples of semifinal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026
Boise State also forfeited its conference tournament semifinal match to the Spartans.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Carlos Alcaraz will play Novak Djokovic in this year’s Australian Open final after the pair navigated two epic semifinals in Melbourne on Friday.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for semifinal
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Adjective
From there, a bracket is established with a set of quarterfinal, semifinal and championship matchups.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026
Boise State also forfeited its conference tournament semifinal match to the Spartans.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
Palisades went 12-7 in its final 19 games last season, falling to Chatsworth in the Open Division semifinals before reaching the Division III regional semifinals (hosting three games at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa).
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Carlos Alcaraz will play Novak Djokovic in this year’s Australian Open final after the pair navigated two epic semifinals in Melbourne on Friday.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for semifinal
Cite this Entry
“Semifinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semifinal. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
semifinal
1 of 2 adjective
semi·fi·nal
ˌsem-i-ˈfīn-ᵊl
1
: coming before the final round in a tournament
2
: of or taking part in a semifinal
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