from start to finish
- idiom
- The 1998 trial of that case lasted four months from start to finish and remains the longest civil jury trial.
- from start to finish process
- from start to finish story
How long did it take from start to finish between concept and completion?
- How long did it take from start to finish between concept and completion?
- So how many people's lives have you studied from start to finish?
- They commit murder just by scripting everything out from start to finish.
- So my experience has only been good from start to finish with them.
- So he played the entire album from start to finish.
- And not only does he beat Magnus with the black pieces, he dominates him from start to finish.
- It's good to revisit my life going from start to finish again.
- Like live the day from start to finish and make it as real as possible.
- Like it's really, it's a flawless film from start to finish.
- But this was a series of critical mistakes from start to finish from the very, you know, outset.
- I don't know I mean like right, let's think about it from start to finish.
- It was a what it was a great collaboration from start to finish.
Examples
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An expert will do your taxes from start to finish, ensuring your taxes are done right, guaranteed, so you can relax.
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And finally, it only takes about 10 or 15 minutes from start to finish.
Blog text (1) -
This was my operation from start to finish.
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I work from start to finish.
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How long did it take from start to finish between concept and completion?
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If not, then take a deep breath and write your story again from start to finish.
Academic text (2009) -
I'm going to be there for the whole audition, from start to finish.
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It took me six weeks from start to finish to do that entire thing, and every page was an adventure.
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Using recyclable materials, Tinkertoys, and LEGOs, the students are able to follow the design process from start to finish.
Academic text (2012) -
The construction project lasted from start to finish about six months.
Synonyms
Completely from the start to the finish
For the whole time from the start to the finish
Including everything from the beginning to the end
Antonyms
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is fully compositional: 'from' indicates the starting point, 'start' and 'finish' are the clear endpoints, and 'to' links them as a range, so 'for the whole time' follows directly from the constituents. This range/extent pattern is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the component words will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
From start to finish gives a clear picture: someone watching or doing something from the start all the way to the finish. So it means 'for the whole time', from the beginning to the end.