# finish off

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/finish-off
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to complete the last part of a task or to eat the rest of something.

For teachers: to complete a task or consume a remaining portion entirely; often implies a sense of finality or the exhaustion of a resource.

## Examples

- I need to finish off my homework before dinner.
- We were almost full, but we decided to finish off the cake so it wouldn't go to waste.
- The architect spent the weekend finishing off the final blueprints to ensure the project could commence on Monday morning.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I finished the coffee off it." but "I finished the coffee off." — when the object is a noun, it can go before or after the particle, but you do not repeat the object as a pronoun.

## Usage notes

- commonly used with food, drinks, or small remaining tasks.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'finish' (general completion); 'finish off' emphasizes reaching the very end of a specific amount or a final stage.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.