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
Because Notre Dame is Notre Dame, the Big 12’s best chance was for BYU to beat, or come close, to Texas Tech.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Dec. 2025
Democrats have never come close to getting that bracket back up to the pre-Reagan era.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
The former Alabama player has never come close to matching his league-leading 11 interceptions in 2021, and he's had a tumultuous year that included a workout bonus in his contract being withheld and a brief benching by first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer.
—CBS News, 3 Dec. 2025
Still, both of the ads combined don't come close to the engagement Levi's Beyonce campaign has seen on YouTube.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge,natalie Rice, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for come close
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Dec. 2025
Democrats have never come close to getting that bracket back up to the pre-Reagan era.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
The former Alabama player has never come close to matching his league-leading 11 interceptions in 2021, and he's had a tumultuous year that included a workout bonus in his contract being withheld and a brief benching by first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer.
—CBS News, 3 Dec. 2025
Still, both of the ads combined don't come close to the engagement Levi's Beyonce campaign has seen on YouTube.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge,natalie Rice, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025
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 8 Dec. 2025.
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