close 1 of 5

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as in narrow
showing little difference in the standing of the competitors the election results were so close that the votes had to be recounted

Synonyms & Similar Words

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close

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verb

1
as in to shut
to position (something) so as to prevent passage through an opening be sure to close the gate when you leave

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to close (down)
to stop the operations of the merchant will close the store if business doesn't improve

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to end
to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point we'll close the assembly with the singing of our national anthem

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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close

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adverb

close

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noun (1)

as in courtyard
an open space wholly or partly enclosed (as by buildings or walls) a garden in a close at the center of the complex

Synonyms & Similar Words

close

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noun (2)

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective close contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of close are miserly, niggardly, parsimonious, penurious, and stingy. While all these words mean "being unwilling or showing unwillingness to share with others," close suggests keeping a tight grip on one's money and possessions.

folks who are very close when charity calls

When can miserly be used instead of close?

The synonyms miserly and close are sometimes interchangeable, but miserly suggests a sordid avariciousness and a morbid pleasure in hoarding.

a miserly couple devoid of social conscience

Where would niggardly be a reasonable alternative to close?

Although the words niggardly and close have much in common, niggardly implies giving or spending the very smallest amount possible.

the niggardly amount budgeted for the town library

In what contexts can parsimonious take the place of close?

While in some cases nearly identical to close, parsimonious suggests a frugality so extreme as to lead to stinginess.

a parsimonious lifestyle notably lacking in luxuries

When is it sensible to use penurious instead of close?

The meanings of penurious and close largely overlap; however, penurious implies niggardliness that gives an appearance of actual poverty.

the penurious eccentric bequeathed a fortune

When could stingy be used to replace close?

In some situations, the words stingy and close are roughly equivalent. However, stingy implies a marked lack of generosity.

a stingy child, not given to sharing

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of close
Adjective
To replicate that in space, Google’s researchers propose a close-formation satellite cluster, where spacecraft fly just hundreds of meters apart. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025 The two movies are wonderfully complementary, even if their close release dates are seemingly a coincidence. David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
The Bills HAVE to close this out. Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025 Centenary closes its regular season Saturday at home against Austin College. Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Adverb
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Tianjin Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, and Rice University, the work could reshape how scientists think about pollution cleanup by looking closer at the tiniest details hidden in common minerals. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025 With one out already on the board, Rojas stepped up in the ninth hole and delivered a line-drive home run, hitting the ball over the wall on a hanging pitch by Toronto Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman. Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
The maneuver means that each shareholder of record as of the close of trading on Monday, November 10 (the record date) will receive, after the close of trading on Friday, November 14, 2025, nine additional shares for every share held as of that date. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025 With a 50% gain this year through Tuesday’s close, the stock is single handedly responsible for nearly a fifth of the S&P 500 Index’s 17% advance in 2025. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for close
Recent Examples of Synonyms for close
Adjective
  • Wearing a well-fitting, high-quality mask in crowded indoor spaces also can reduce the risk of contracting respiratory infections or spreading your illness to others.
    Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • With wintry weather and crowded airports, Thanksgiving travel can already be stressful.
    Juliana Kim, NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • These particles emerge from a coronal mass ejection or a solar flare that bursts out from our nearest star.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Queen Letizia’s wardrobe selections for the state gala dinner on Tuesday night was a near-exact replica of the Spanish royal’s attire for the state banquet at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in April 2024, during the Spanish royals‘ state visit to the country.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • One was needed with a narrow temperature range; in Helm’s case, inglorious British maritime.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Its cities have narrow and twisting streets.
    Jamie L. LaReau, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Eleven men and women died in intimate partner homicides in 2024, nearly double the number killed the previous year, according to the annual Fatality Review Report for Tarrant County.
    Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Through intimate interviews with players, coaches, parents, journalists and opponents, director Kevin Shaw probes media bias, racial stereotypes, community pride and the ethical complexities of youth sports—showing how a moment meant to celebrate young athletes became a lasting stigma.
    Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But when asked how their organizations actually measure leadership trust, most were silent.
    por John Blakey, Harvard Business Review, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's Akatsuki mission orbiting Venus was declared dead last week after engineers spent more than a year trying to get in touch with the silent spacecraft.
    Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The Chinese retailer, known for its range of cheap ultra-fast-fashion clothing and criticisms of its labor and environmental practices, is nestled on the sixth floor of a more than century-old building in Paris, a city famous for high-end fashion and a recent green push.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The other side of this has been the money in the industry’s pivot first to cheaper talk shows, which don’t innovate enough to merit much critique, and now to a second pivot to turn those interview shows into video series, which makes podcasts more friendly on TikTok and Instagram and YouTube.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • As a sleazy, lecherous publicist pinned in a Manhattan phone booth by a faceless sniper on the other end of the line, Farrell goes from smug condescension to breathless victimhood pretty effortlessly.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Despite breathless news coverage about the possibility, their comments during weekend TV interviews barely moved the needle.
    Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • World’s most advanced quantum clocks Quantum clocks provide very accurate timekeeping.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
  • November 04, 2025 When Wikipedia was founded in 2001, the idea that people around the world could come together to create an accurate online encyclopedia covering virtually any topic seemed far-fetched.
    Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 4 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Close.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/close. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

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