polish off

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“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 Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2025

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 Salon • Nov. 1, 2024

A final improvement to the latter method boosted accuracy, and together the three approaches were able to polish off all but five of the final trouble spots.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 30, 2022

I ended up outpacing the book club and staying up until midnight to polish off “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.”

From New York Times • Jul. 27, 2021

By the time I polish off the ice cream, Grim is handing me coffee in a china cup, from the set they never use.

From "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick