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Prepositions after verbs

Finish with or finish in?

Finish with usually means complete something or end using something. Finish in is mainly used for time limits or places.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct with finish?

Use finish with for the last part of something or to mean complete a task or relationship. Use finish in for a time period or location. The meanings are different, so the choice depends on context.

She finished with the report before lunch.
The race finished in under two hours.
We finished with a short discussion.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
finish with + task/object

Completing something

Use finish with when you complete work, an activity, or an object.

He finished with his homework.
Are you finished with the printer?
2
finish with + final item

Ending using something

Use finish with for the last thing in a series or event.

The chef finished with fresh herbs.
The concert finished with a popular song.
3
finish in + time period

Completing within a time limit

Use finish in to show how long something takes.

She finished in thirty minutes.
Can you finished in an hour?
4
finish in + place

Ending in a location

Use finish in when the activity ends at a particular place or position.

The parade finished in the city square.
The path finished in a narrow tunnel.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
finish with
I finished with the client meeting at noon.
complete or end an activity
finish in
They finished the project in three days.
within a period of time
finish in
The tour finished in Rome.
end at a place
finish off
She finished off the cake.
eat or complete the last part of something

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using finish in for completed tasks

Use finish with for completing an activity or object, not finish in.

✕ I finished in my homework. ✓ I finished with my homework.

Confusing time expressions

Use finish in for the amount of time needed.

✕ We finished with two hours. ✓ We finished in two hours.

Omitting the object after finish with

Finish with normally needs an object when it means complete something.

✓ She finished with the presentation.

Mixing place and object meanings

Finish in can describe where something ends, not the object completed.

✕ He finished in the report. ✓ He finished with the report.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She finished ___ the assignment before dinner.
2. The team finished the race ___ four hours.
3. The ceremony finished ___ a fireworks display.

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Frequently asked questions

Can finish with mean stop dealing with something?

Yes. For example, I am finished with that project means you no longer need to work on it.

Can finish in describe a place?

Yes. A route or event can finish in a city, room, or other location.

Is finish by the same as finish in?

No. Finish by gives a deadline, while finish in gives the time needed to complete something.

face, with, face, by facilitate by, in, with, for or through? "fade into", "fade to" or "fade from"? fail in, at, to, on or for? "fall into" or "fall in"? falter in, after, for, on or under? fantasize about, on, of or over? fare in, against, to, as or on? "fascinate by" or "fascinate with"? "fasten to", "fasten on" or "fasten with"? favor by, in, for, from or of? favour by, in, for, over or of?

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