1
as in secrecy
the practice or habit of keeping secrets or keeping one's affairs secret
we tried to penetrate her strange closeness about her domestic life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in economy
the quality or practice of being overly sparing with money
rebelled against his parents' closeness with his allowance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in accuracy
the quality or state of being very accurate
the body was too decomposed to estimate the time of death with any great closeness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in intimacy
the state of being in a very personal or private relationship
the closeness of their relationship was a matter of intense speculation among their coworkers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in proximity
the state or condition of being near
we were surprised by the closeness of everything to our downtown loft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in carefulness
strict attentiveness to what one is doing
how much you get out of the sermon will depend on the closeness with which you listen to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 closeness
Despite their closeness, Sulewski makes a conscious effort not to show Eilish on her channel.
—
Grace Smith, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
His closeness to the team leaves them vulnerable to getting lost in the weeds and missing the bigger picture.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
However, closeness and visibility vary.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 18 Sep. 2025
As people increasingly turn to AI chatbots for emotional support and life advice, recent incidents have put a spotlight on their potential to feed into delusions and facilitate a false sense of closeness or care.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 17 Sep. 2025
The researchers found that individuals with higher attachment anxiety, that is people who crave closeness but fear abandonment, reported stronger parasocial relationships with their favorite TV characters.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Your performance results will depend on your hardware configuration, but the closeness of these results demonstrates that speed isn't a major differentiator.
—PC Magazine, 11 Sep. 2025
Their time together gives way to a quiet closeness, shifting a relationship neither of them saw coming.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
The final yardage count (318 for UM, 314 for Notre Dame) reflected the closeness of the game.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Grace Smith, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
His closeness to the team leaves them vulnerable to getting lost in the weeds and missing the bigger picture.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
However, closeness and visibility vary.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 18 Sep. 2025
As people increasingly turn to AI chatbots for emotional support and life advice, recent incidents have put a spotlight on their potential to feed into delusions and facilitate a false sense of closeness or care.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 17 Sep. 2025
The researchers found that individuals with higher attachment anxiety, that is people who crave closeness but fear abandonment, reported stronger parasocial relationships with their favorite TV characters.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Your performance results will depend on your hardware configuration, but the closeness of these results demonstrates that speed isn't a major differentiator.
—PC Magazine, 11 Sep. 2025
Their time together gives way to a quiet closeness, shifting a relationship neither of them saw coming.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
The final yardage count (318 for UM, 314 for Notre Dame) reflected the closeness of the game.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeness
Noun
-
That could soon change thanks to a new bill that artists hope will remove the barriers and secrecy.—
Meghan Pryce,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
-
While residents may have not enjoyed the secrecy that came with this development, Million said Microsoft is being cautious.—
Ricardo Torres,
jsonline.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Shop Downtown Contribute to the local economy and treat yourself to a little retail therapy by checking out the many specialty shops and boutiques that line downtown’s picturesque streets.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Official economic data currently shows that the American economy is strong and has remained resilient in the face of the White House’s shock-and-awe tariff policies.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The slit details in the pencil skirts, sleek coats and color block knits and the mille-feuille dresses tapped into the codes of Jil Sander with great accuracy.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Alex feels welcomed in this new town, but is immediately thrown off kilter by the intimacy among neighbors in Tall Pines.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Each area offers a sense of intimacy and comfort, with the moodiness of a speakeasy from the terrazzo tabletops to the warm color palette of brass, deep blue and emerald green.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Because of the two storms’ proximity, experts are watching for the possible occurrence of an unusual phenomenon called the Fujiwhara effect.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Just as essential a consideration as carefulness for committee members, though, is speed.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Naylor left Friday night’s game early with groin tightness.—
Jim Bowden,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Elias Díaz was smiling and moving around unencumbered late last night, a couple hours after essentially pulling himself from the game in the fourth inning following a couple awkward swings that resulted in him feeling tightness in his left oblique.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The ball snapped into their hands with a precision that felt impossible for someone who claimed to be homeschooled in rural nowhere.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
-
In total, approximately 4,500 Marines and sailors are deployed, supported by a cruiser, several destroyers, and a Los Angeles-class attack submarine equipped with more than 400 missile tubes capable of precision strikes.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Closeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeness. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share