1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

finalize

verb

ˈfī-nə-ˌlīz How to pronounce finalize (audio)
Definition of finalizenext
1
as in to finish
to bring (something) to a state where nothing remains to be done we're still finalizing our travel plans but hope to have them done by the end of the week

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to approve
to give official acceptance of as satisfactory the bank won't finalize the loan before Tuesday because of the holiday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of finalize The meeting has not been finalized, but Trump wants to make room in his schedule for a sit-down with Rodríguez, possibly as early as Tuesday, Axios reported Thursday, citing sources familiar with the discussions. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026 Those conversations are happening now, but may not be finalized for a couple weeks. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026 The project’s second phase is still being designed and finalized, Greene said. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 17 Sep. 2026 The Observer reported last month that details were still being finalized. — Langston Wertz Jr, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for finalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finalize
  1. finish
  2. approve
  3. complete
  4. ratify
  5. confirm
Verb
  • The daffodils here were almost finished, apart from one little patch of stragglers still flowering on heroically against the odds.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Tools can also summarize meeting transcripts, identify follow-up tasks and prepare customer relationship management (CRM) updates before a salesperson finishes their next meeting.
    — Don Markland, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of finish
Verb
  • Though the delivery time for such orders can be multiple years, approving such sales sends a broader signal about the bilateral relationship.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In one of her first meetings, she was asked to look at the designs for a new truck cab and formally approve it.
    — Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of approve
Verb
  • There are already rumors of the Senate breaking for campaign season early, but Republican leadership still wants to confirm nominees and complete some regulatory rollbacks.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • So the first question was whether a single party should ever hold a complete key, and therefore complete control over a client’s assets.
    — Sergey Stopnevich, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of complete
Verb
  • When Brazil ratified the agreement, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described it not as a trade policy achievement but as a reaffirmation of multilateralism in an era of unilateral tariffs.
    — JONAS NAHM, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Every transfer needs to be ratified by the Premier League’s five-step process, detailed between sections 254 to 261 of the youth development rules.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of ratify
Verb
  • In Chester County, which also borders Lancaster and 65 confirmed measles cases, the county government has hosted free MMR clinics for children and adults, some in conjunction with the state health department.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Kyoto Sushi & Steak, one of three locations in the Kansas City metro confirmed to be exposed to a measles case last week, said no employees have reported any symptoms associated with the disease.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of confirm

Browse Nearby Words

finalizations
finalize
finalized
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Finalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finalize. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nemesis

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All