come close
idiom
1
: to almost do something
We didn't win, but we came close.
—often + toThe band came very close to breaking up.
We came close to winning the championship this season.
2
: to be similar to something or as good as expected
She said they taste just like real hot dogs, but they don't even come close (to the real thing).
Examples of come close in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kansas didn’t come close to contending for a Big 12 title the last two seasons, finishing sixth in the conference last year and tied for fifth a year prior.
—
Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 10 Jan. 2026
Through it all, nobody has come close to beating her.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Grand Canyon immediately responded with an 8-0 run, and the Broncos didn’t come close for the rest of the game.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Newport Harbor’s Oliver Aguero stole the ball and quickly passed ahead to Aguilar, who heaved a shot from half court that didn’t come close.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for come close
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Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 10 Jan. 2026
Through it all, nobody has come close to beating her.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Grand Canyon immediately responded with an 8-0 run, and the Broncos didn’t come close for the rest of the game.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Newport Harbor’s Oliver Aguero stole the ball and quickly passed ahead to Aguilar, who heaved a shot from half court that didn’t come close.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for come close
Cite this Entry
“Come close.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come%20close. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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