photo finish

noun

Synonyms of photo finishnext
1
: a race or finish in which contestants are so close that a photograph of them as they cross the finish line has to be examined to determine the winner
2
: a close contest

Examples of photo finish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This time the 11-10 favorite found himself on the wrong side of a five-horse photo finish. — Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 The German won the men's marathon at the European championships on Sunday morning by a whopping 7 seconds, less than a year after missing out on gold in a photo finish at the world championships in Tokyo. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 This is a very similar route to stage 11 from the 2024 Tour de France, won by Vingegaard in a photo finish ahead of Pogačar. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 1 July 2026 Wednesday's episode of the long-running primetime game show came down to a photo finish between returning champion Dan Laine from Jersey City, AJ Maroney from Boston, and Katelyn Mueller-McLean from San Francisco. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for photo finish

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of photo finish was in 1935

Rhymes for photo finish

See All Rhymes for photo finish

Browse Nearby Words

photofabrication
photo finish
photofinisher
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Photo finish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/photo%20finish. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

photo finish

noun
1
: a finish of a race in which contestants are so close that a photograph of them crossing the finish line has to be examined to decide the winner
2
: a close contest (as in an election)

More from Merriam-Webster on photo finish

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