final whistle

From final (adjective) +‎ whistle.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌfaɪnl̩ wɪsl̩/, /-ʍɪsl̩/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌfaɪn(ə)l wɪs(ə)l/, /-ʍɪs(ə)l/

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪsəl
• Hyphenation: fi‧nal whist‧le

final whistle (plural final whistles)

1. (sports) The blow of the whistle by the referee or other adjudicator signifying the end of a match.

   Antonym: starting whistle

   Coordinate terms: checkered flag, chequered flag

   • 1888 July, “Chat”, in Demorest’s Monthly Magazine, volume XXIV, number 9 (number CCCI overall), New York, N.Y.: W Jennings Demorest, →OCLC, page 583, column 2:

     Before the next [tennis] game begins, the players in each court change partners: and the same routine is followed until the time agreed upon has elapsed, when the final whistle is sounded, scores are added up, and prizes awarded.

   • 1910 January 15, Bernard Finch, “The Outside Right: A Football Story”, in The Boy’s Own Paper, volume XXXII, number 16 (number 1618 overall), London: “Boy’s Own Paper” Office, , →OCLC, page 255, column 2:

     Only fifteen minutes now remained before the referee would blow the final whistle, and both teams exerted every effort to gain the mastery.

   • 1949, “Basketball”, in The 1949 Cornellian, Ithaca, N.Y.: The 1949 Cornellian Board for the students of Cornell University, →OCLC, page 313, column 2:

     On December 14 Cornell's green, soph-laden basketball team tasted its first defeat as it fell before an experienced Niagara five. […] The second half Niagara jumped into the lead and held it until the final whistle.

   • 2006, Wayne Rooney, “Introduction”, in Wayne Rooney: The Way It Is, London: HarperSport, HarperCollinsPublishers, published 2007, →ISBN, page 3:

     It ended 1–0 to West Ham, and at the final whistle their players were going mad, knowing they were staying up [i.e., not being relegated].

   • 2011 January 8, Paul Fletcher, “Stevenage 3 – 1 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport‎, archived from the original on 2023-01-01:

     The final whistle prompted a pitch invasion – although there appeared to be an unwanted incident when a supporter seemed to punch Stevenage's Scott Laird, who subsequently fell to the ground.

• green flag
• starter pistol, starting gun, starting pistol

• “the final whistle, n.”, in Collins English Dictionary.