polish off

verb

Definition of polish offnext
as in to mouth (down)

Related Words

Relevance

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 polish off The Spurs had just polished off a 136-108 romp over the Lakers, a clear-the-bench game in which Sochan logged exactly zero minutes. — Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Feb. 2026 Eating in the car is so powerful that McDonald’s once ran a TV commercial featuring a man who couldn’t wait to get home and polished off the whole container while driving. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026 Archie had 11 points to guide McNeese to a 34-22 advantage at halftime and Johnson scored 12 after the break to polish off the victory. — ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026 Peanuts, says the chimpanzee, to the suits who get to polish off the carnage, and not even a whiff of chicken feed to their masters, but serious money to a working man with mouths to feed and children of his own to keep alive. — Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for polish off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polish off
  1. finish
  2. wolf
  3. put away
  4. chew
Verb
  • City finished 17 points behind Chelsea when Chelsea won their most recent title, and maybe after a while that inculcates a sense of shakiness, or not-quite-worthiness.
    — Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The Kansas City Royals finished Saturday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays without one of their key offensive contributors.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of finish
Verb
  • The actor Marisa Abela plays her in a binary state of panic and swagger by sobbing like a dejected child or slyly grinning like one who’s about to wolf down an ice-cream cake.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Patrons grab coladas and cortaditos to kick-start their mornings, while others wolf down breakfast platters for sustenance or arrive on their lunch breaks for pan con bistec or Cuban sandwiches, maybe a burger or palomilla steak.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
Definition of wolf
Verb
  • Kaick put away a first-touch shot off a feed from Joaquín Valiente to open the scoring in the 62nd.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Additionally, Lynch struggled to put away batters with his sinker and four-seam fastball.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of put away
Verb
  • Bubble gum count will be high Sunday Hafley is known to chew bubble gum frequently.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The part that was chewed was the part that goes over your instep, a kind of flap or lip.
    — Lydia Davis, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of chew

Browse Nearby Words

polishing off
polish off
polite
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Polish off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polish%20off. Accessed 15 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 quorum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

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

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

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

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
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All