come close

idiom

1
: to almost do something
We didn't win, but we came close.
often + to
The 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
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.
The rarity of the Reagan-Thatcher relationship hasn’t been replicated, though some presidents have come close. Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025 Some, like the Rokid Glasses, come close—but they're consistently held back by technical shortcomings, clunky controls, and a lack of refinement. PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025 Christian McCaffrey hasn’t come close to rushing for 100 yards in a game this season, despite toting the rock 108 times. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025 The only other free agent third baseman who’d come close to filling his shoes is Eugenio Suarez, who hit 49 home runs for the Diamondbacks and Mariners this season but who is two years older at age 34 and worse defensively. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for come close

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Cite this Entry

“Come close.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come%20close. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

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