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
The next steps include finalizing a term sheet, which would then need to be ratified by the players.
—
Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Wogan said Tuesday the property owners are finalizing a permit with the city to continue demolition work for up to 60 trailers.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Tel Aviv — In early January, Israel was quietly finalizing plans for a wide-scale operation along its northern border.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
Hanks and Lewes separated in 1985, finalizing their divorce two years later.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026
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
City staff is still finalizing designs that will show what, exactly, infrastructure will look like when it’s done.
—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
Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Wogan said Tuesday the property owners are finalizing a permit with the city to continue demolition work for up to 60 trailers.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Tel Aviv — In early January, Israel was quietly finalizing plans for a wide-scale operation along its northern border.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
Hanks and Lewes separated in 1985, finalizing their divorce two years later.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026
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
City staff is still finalizing designs that will show what, exactly, infrastructure will look like when it’s done.
—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
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
-
Last April, the union celebrated when Atlanta City Council passed a resolution ratifying the first-of-its-kind collective bargaining agreement.—
Riley Bunch,
AJC.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
European lawmakers on Monday delayed a vote on ratifying the pact to seek clarification.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Class members should have received a notice by email or mail with a unique ID and PIN confirming their information was involved.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The Iranian judiciary's news agency, Mizan, quoted the Revolutionary Guard as confirming the killing of Soleimani.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finalizing. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
