miracle finish
Last-second triumph
A miracle finish is an unexpectedly dramatic conclusion to a competition, where a team or competitor overcomes what seemed like certain defeat in the final moments.
The phrase appears most often in sports commentary: The Patriots pulled off a miracle finish in the fourth quarter.
It implies last-second heroics, improbable luck, or both.
- comebackRecovery after decline
- clutchMechanism linking engine to gearbox
- buzzer-beaterScore at the horn
- game winnerScoring play securing triumph
- upsetDisturb, topple, or shock
from behind · underdog · against all odds · triumph · dramatic · down to the wire · final whistle · last gasp · improbable · stunning · heroic · rally · never say die · overtime · victory · Hail Mary · nail-biter · glory
- close winsbuzzer beater, squeaker, nail biter, close call, by a whisker
- sports dramacomeback story, underdog story, rivalry, upset, buzzer beater
- epic gameschampionship game, playoff game, title match, showdown, decider
miracle finishforegone conclusion
Result assumed beforehand
formality · going through the motions · anticlimactic ending · business as usual
miracle finishanticlimactic ending
Resolution that disappoints expectations
dull finish · flat finish · blowout · whimper · snoozer
miracle finishcrushing defeat
Overwhelming, decisive loss
choke · snatching defeat from the jaws of victory · bitter end · meltdown · epic fail
miracle, finish, miracles, miraculous, miraculously, finished, finishes, finishing, finisher