That was it vs That's it

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

That was it

Informal Top 2,000 (common)

That's it

Top 1,000 (very common)

Most formal: That's it Most common: That's it

	That was it	That's it
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 //ðæt wəz ɪt// 🇺🇸 //ðæt wəz ɪt//	🇬🇧 //ðæts ɪt// 🇺🇸 //ðæts ɪt//
Meaning	That was the final thing or moment.	That's all; nothing more.
Example	After all the preparations, when the last guest left, I sighed, 'That was it.'	After hours of work, I finally finished it. That's it!
Register	Informal	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
Collocations	that was it for now, that was it all along, that was it then	that's it for now, that's it then, that's it folks
Antonyms	-	not yet, incomplete, ongoing
Common mistakes	Used in a formal context., Confused with 'That's it' - means completion., Used without context; needs clarity.	Used in formal contexts where a more professional tone is needed., Mispronounced or emphasized incorrectly, making it unclear., Confused with other phrases like 'that's it for now'.
Usage notes	Commonly used to conclude a conversation or situation. Informal in tone; not suitable for formal writing or speeches.	Commonly used to conclude a statement or to indicate finality. It's informal but acceptable in most casual contexts.

See it in real clips

That was it?

That was it. That was the last... That was...

That was it?

That was it. That was the last... That was...

That was it

Chernobyl › S1 E1

That's it, that's the worst of it.

That's it.

Agatha Christies Poirot › S1 E1

So, that's it, is it?

Chernobyl › S1 E1

That's it, that's the worst of it.

That's it.

That's it

Frequently asked questions: That was it vs That's it

What's the difference between That was it and That's it?

That was it: That was the final thing or moment. That's it: That's all; nothing more.

Which is more formal: That was it and That's it?

That's it is the most formal of these.

Which is more common: That was it and That's it?

That's it is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

That was it: After all the preparations, when the last guest left, I sighed, 'That was it.' That's it: After hours of work, I finally finished it. That's it!

Can I use That was it and That's it interchangeably?

Not always. That was it and That's it are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.