photo finish

noun

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

His 100 victory came in a photo finish by one-hundredth of a second for the fastest time in Maryland this season. —Anthony Maluso, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2024

Mystik Dan came in second during the Preakness after winning by a nose at the Kentucky Derby in a photo finish. —Ana Calderone, Peoplemag, 8 June 2024

Mystik Dan, who entered the $5 million, Grade 1 race with 18-1 odds, made Derby history in a heart-stopping photo finish Saturday evening, beating Sierra Leone and Forever Young by a nostril during the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. —Keisha Rowe, The Courier-Journal, 5 May 2024

Watch Kentucky Derby end in photo finish Mystik Dan won the 2024 Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs. —The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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)