A nearfall or sequence designed to make the audience believe the match is over when it isn't. The finisher connects, the crowd counts along, and the opponent kicks out at 2.99. Used sparingly, false finishes are the most exciting moments in wrestling. Used too often, they train the audience to never believe a finish is real. Modern main events sometimes have five or six, which is... a lot.
"He hit the RKO, everyone jumped out of their seats, and the guy kicked out! Nobody saw that coming."