1
as in finishing
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 approving
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 finalizing
Kidman and Urban were married for 19 years before finalizing their divorce in January 2026.
—
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2026
Nicole Kidman delved into her family status three months after finalizing her divorce from ex-husband, Keith Urban.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 11 Mar. 2026
And, while the Babygirl actress and Urban have now gone their separate ways after finalizing their divorce in January, Kidman revealed that’s not about to change anytime soon.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
While Olathe handles Santa Fe improvements, the Kansas Department of Transportation is finalizing its designs for capacity improvements on I-35.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
The next move was to connect with Green Bay on Sunday night, as a deal was worked through in the late hours and worked toward finalizing on Monday morning.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Mar. 2026
Reports say the Eagles are finalizing a three-year, $78 million contract extension with the star defensive tackle that includes $65 million guaranteed.
—Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Look at ground transportation options before finalizing your trip details.
—Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
But because both parties were finalizing their polling places through the end of February, Adams said there wasn’t enough time to do that.
—Tracey McManus, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2026
Nicole Kidman delved into her family status three months after finalizing her divorce from ex-husband, Keith Urban.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 11 Mar. 2026
And, while the Babygirl actress and Urban have now gone their separate ways after finalizing their divorce in January, Kidman revealed that’s not about to change anytime soon.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
While Olathe handles Santa Fe improvements, the Kansas Department of Transportation is finalizing its designs for capacity improvements on I-35.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
The next move was to connect with Green Bay on Sunday night, as a deal was worked through in the late hours and worked toward finalizing on Monday morning.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Mar. 2026
Reports say the Eagles are finalizing a three-year, $78 million contract extension with the star defensive tackle that includes $65 million guaranteed.
—Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Look at ground transportation options before finalizing your trip details.
—Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
But because both parties were finalizing their polling places through the end of February, Adams said there wasn’t enough time to do that.
—Tracey McManus, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finalizing
Verb
-
Herro was the only Heat player who hit the 20-point mark on Tuesday, finishing the loss with 20 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field, 1-of-2 shooting on threes and 9-of-9 shooting from the foul line, eight rebounds and five assists.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Center fielder Caden Sorrell hit two home runs in the game, finishing 2-for-4 with four RBIs.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That’s one of the issues with approving funding allegedly dedicated to fixing either schools or roads.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The spokesman said the Risk Management division of the city’s Human Resources department is also coming up with ways to reduce delays in approving medical diagnostic testing and certain conservative forms of treatment.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Japanese government is roughly two years away from completing its own network of satellites to track moving objects.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Mar. 2026
-
By September last year, the project advanced further as the ship’s three towering masts were installed, marking a critical step toward completing the vessel’s distinctive sail system.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
European lawmakers on Monday delayed a vote on ratifying the pact to seek clarification.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
America’s ratification that year broke a logjam of inaction by nations that had signed the agreement but were wary about actually ratifying it as a legal document.—
Gary W. Yohe,
The Conversation,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Devonta doesn’t offer any further details, aside from confirming that this person doesn’t live with him in Arizona.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In the meantime, other high-profile work lies ahead for Congress, including reopening the Department of Homeland Security and confirming its new leader.—
Steven Sloan,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finalizing. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
