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polish off

verb

To finish completely, especially a food (polish the plate with one's tongue) or liquor.

“They polished off the last of the cake.”

Similar

finish off get through wrap up mop up clear up finish up murder slay

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Meanings

verbpolish off (third-person singular simple present polishes off, present participle polishing off, simple past and past participle polished off)

present singular third person polishes off · participle present polishing off · participle past polished off · past polished off

idiomaticTo finish completely, especially a food (polish the plate with one's tongue) or liquor.
They polished off the last of the cake.
Synonyms: finish off
To remove by polishing (rubbing with a fine abrasive).
White rice is rice that has had the brownish hull polished off leaving just the white inner part of the grain.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo finish completely, especially a food (polish the plate with one's tongue) or liquor.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

verbfinish a task completely

Similar

get through wrap up finish off mop up clear up finish up

Broader

complete finish

verbkill intentionally and with premeditation

Similar

murder slay hit dispatch bump off off remove

Broader

verbfinish eating all the food on one's plate or on the table

Similar

Broader

Also see

bump off clear up dispatch eat up finish finish off finish up get through hit kill mop up murder off remove slay wrap up

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian излапвам

излапвам (izlapvam)To finish completely, especially a food

Polish dokańczać, dokończyć

dokańczaćTo finish completely, especially a food
dokończyćTo finish completely, especially a food

Spanish dar buena cuenta de

dar buena cuenta deTo finish completely, especially a food

Swedish klämma

klämmaTo finish completely, especially a food

Cite this entry

APA

polish off. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polish%20off

MLA

“polish off.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polish%20off. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “polish off,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polish%20off.

Source: polish off on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.