ENGLISH
REFERENCE

finish up with

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford General-service

phr. v.. to have something as the final part of an activity or a meal.

phr. v.. to conclude a sequence or process with a specific final action, item, or result; often used in the context of dining or task completion.


SIMPLE

We finished up with a delicious chocolate cake.

CONTEXTUAL

After discussing the budget and the new hires, the team finished up with a quick brainstorming session.

COMPLEX

The symphony finished up with a triumphant brass fanfare that left the audience standing in applause for several minutes.

Particles
up with
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
finish + up + with + object
Usage

the object is usually the final item in a series or the last course of a meal.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'finish' (the act of ending) by highlighting that 'finish up with' focuses on the specific final component of a multi-step experience.

Pitfall

We finished up with eat dessert.We finished up with dessert.the preposition 'with' must be followed by a noun or a gerund, not a base verb.

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