photo finish: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, journalistic, sports commentary
Quick answer
What does “photo finish” mean?
A result in a race so close that a photograph taken at the finish line is needed to determine the winner.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A result in a race so close that a photograph taken at the finish line is needed to determine the winner.
Any situation or contest where the outcome is extremely close or uncertain until the very last moment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical in both varieties. The metaphor is equally common.
Connotations
Associated with high drama, tension, and narrow margins of victory.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British media due to greater cultural emphasis on horse racing.
Grammar
How to Use “photo finish” in a Sentence
The race ended in a photo finish.The election was a photo finish.It took a photo finish to separate them.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “photo finish” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The 100m final is poised to photo-finish.
American English
- The primary could photo-finish in a delegate tie.
adverb
British English
- The race concluded photo-finish.
American English
- The game ended photo-finish in overtime.
adjective
British English
- We're in for a photo-finish election night.
American English
- It was a photo-finish conclusion to the championship series.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The merger negotiations went to a photo finish before the final handshake.
Academic
The two competing theories are in a photo finish for dominance in the field.
Everyday
Our bake-off was a photo finish; we needed mum to judge the winner.
Technical
The photo finish camera system uses a high-speed digital slit scan.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “photo finish”
- Using 'photo final' or 'picture finish'. Confusing it with a simple 'close call', which lacks the need for technological adjudication.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, though less common. It can be used informally to mean 'to end in an extremely close contest' (e.g., 'The two candidates are likely to photo-finish').
A 'photo finish' implies a winner is determined by minute analysis (e.g., a photograph). A 'dead heat' is an official tie where no winner is declared.
Yes, it's a common metaphor in politics, business, entertainment awards, and any competitive scenario with an extremely close outcome.
High-speed digital slit-scan cameras are now standard, capturing thousands of images per second to determine the exact moment a competitor's torso crosses the line.
A result in a race so close that a photograph taken at the finish line is needed to determine the winner.
Photo finish is usually informal, journalistic, sports commentary in register.
Photo finish: in British English it is pronounced /ˌfəʊtəʊ ˈfɪnɪʃ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌfoʊtoʊ ˈfɪnɪʃ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “go down to the wire”
- “be a close-run thing”
- “win by a nose/whisker”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PHOTO being taken to FINISH deciding the winner.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMPETITION IS A RACE (where the most dramatic race ends with a photograph).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'photo finish' LEAST likely to be used metaphorically?