Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

polish off

verb

  1. to finish or process completely

  2. to dispose of or kill; eliminate

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

Finish or dispose of, especially quickly and easily. For example, We polished off the pie in no time, or If everyone helps, we can polish off this job today. This usage, dating from the early 1800s, came from boxing, where it originally meant “to defeat an opponent quickly and easily.” By the 1830s it was used more generally.
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

South Africa had been polished off in the space of an hour as Cummins became the eighth Australian bowler to reach the milestone of 300 Test wickets.

From

“Paradise” is not “about” climate collapse or nuclear weapons or a giant asteroid or an unstoppable virus, or any of the things that typically polish off the world in postapocalyptic fiction.

From

A disproportionate number not only did not even passively resist but showed themselves eager to lick the polish off Hitler’s jackboots, if necessary.

From

Unmoved by protesters or warnings that rapid growth was coming, the school district polished off the last of the contentious school closings in the summer of 2009.

From

The things to watch are whether the government offers anything in the way of concessions to try to make sure the bill is polished off today.

From

Advertisement

Related Words

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


Polish notationpolish the apple