final whistle
2
2.7
- noun
:
pitido final
- When the referee blew the final whistle, sealing the 0-0 tie between England and Algeria, I didn't know what to expect.
- final whistle blows
And, and so England got humiliated and like, the final whistle sounded and I kind of just slumped.
- And, and so England got humiliated and like, the final whistle sounded and I kind of just slumped.
- The score would stay that way until the very final whistle of this game.
Examples
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It was a fitting climax to the ending of a highly successful season and a splendid match when the final whistle sounded, with the teams in a goalless draw.
Blog text (19) -
When the final whistle blew, players came streaming off the U.S. bench.
Blog text (11) -
The score would stay that way until the very final whistle of this game.
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And there goes the final whistle.
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The biggest lesson for the defense is you gotta make plays till the final whistle.
Blog text (10) -
When the final whistle went and Arsenal fell just short, there was only one thing that sprang to mind.
Blog text (11) -
As the final whistle blew, Schmid hugged his staff in unbridled celebration.
Blog text (23) -
The score, and the silence it left at the bar, held through the referee's final whistle: Slovenia 1, Algeria 0.
Academic text (2010) -
When the final whistle blew at the Azteca on Wednesday night, the elation on the field and at soccer bars around the U.S. was not about soccer.
Blog text (11) -
As the game progressed, the crowd held its breath until the final whistle announced the end of the match.
How Loud
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the signal indicating the end of a match' is directly derivable from combining 'final' (last/conclusive) with 'whistle' (a device that makes a sharp tone): it refers to the last whistle/signal. This modifier+head composition is transparent and common across languages and sporting contexts, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Final whistle comes from sports: when a referee blows a whistle at the final moment of a game, the sharp sound shows the match is over, so the phrase means 'the end of the match'.