as in upcoming
being soon to appear or take place
the approaching holiday has everyone in a state of excitement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in coming
to come near or nearer
the parade's approaching! I can hear the band playing!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nearing
to move closer to
approach the bull with caution
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in approximating
to come near or nearer to in character or quality
his store-bought dessert doesn't even approach your homemade version of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of approaching
Brody Miller, New York Times, 3 June 2026
The royal wedding of the summer is rapidly approaching—and King Charles and Queen Camilla might have a calendar clash with the event.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding is reportedly fast approaching, with the power couple beginning to quietly share details of their top-secret celebration with their guests.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 22 May 2026
Summer is fast approaching, with warm temperatures expected to hit Washington DC and make for a sticky and humid start to the season, a familiar reality for residents across the DMV.
—Mike Stunson, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Colorado’s first open race for governor in eight years is fast approaching, and The Denver Post wants your questions for the candidates.
—Jon Murray, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026
Election Day on Tuesday, April 7, is fast approaching.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
There are signs that the summer season is fast approaching.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
That being said, a pair of sandals is a high priority for my travel wardrobe, especially now that spring is fast approaching.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2026
Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 12 June 2026
In legal filings, Ohio Medicaid warned that recalculating the payments under the court's interpretation could cost about $285 million more per year than lawmakers originally intended, potentially approaching $1 billion over two budget cycles.
—Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026
And with Father’s Day approaching on June 21, the department store devoted the windows at its 59th Street flagship on Wednesday to the brand and its Summers at Play campaign.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
His spectral like figure seems to rise from the corpse, approaching the camera’s lens before vanishing.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 11 June 2026
If a human worker is approaching to come into contact or collide with the robot, a sub-three-second response lets the system slow down or switch to safe mode.
—Lee-Lean Shu, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Having previously sat on the jury of the 64th Berlinale and chaired the jury of the 37th Tokyo Film Festival, Leung is approaching Shanghai’s Golden Goblet lineup fresh.
—Jenny S. Li, Variety, 11 June 2026
Around the same time, Mark and Jacob Iskander, 11 and 8, were with their mother and younger sibling approaching a crosswalk at Triunfo Canyon Road.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Women approaching perimenopause, or anyone with a family history of osteoporosis, may benefit from talking to a doctor about bone density screening before a fracture forces the conversation.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
Adjective
That June deadline is fast approaching, but Rolapp said many players have come to agree with the direction.
—Brody Miller, New York Times, 3 June 2026
The royal wedding of the summer is rapidly approaching—and King Charles and Queen Camilla might have a calendar clash with the event.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding is reportedly fast approaching, with the power couple beginning to quietly share details of their top-secret celebration with their guests.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 22 May 2026
Summer is fast approaching, with warm temperatures expected to hit Washington DC and make for a sticky and humid start to the season, a familiar reality for residents across the DMV.
—Mike Stunson, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Colorado’s first open race for governor in eight years is fast approaching, and The Denver Post wants your questions for the candidates.
—Jon Murray, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026
Election Day on Tuesday, April 7, is fast approaching.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
There are signs that the summer season is fast approaching.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
That being said, a pair of sandals is a high priority for my travel wardrobe, especially now that spring is fast approaching.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
With the Fourth of July approaching, officials are urging pet owners to take extra precautions.
—Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 12 June 2026
In legal filings, Ohio Medicaid warned that recalculating the payments under the court's interpretation could cost about $285 million more per year than lawmakers originally intended, potentially approaching $1 billion over two budget cycles.
—Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026
And with Father’s Day approaching on June 21, the department store devoted the windows at its 59th Street flagship on Wednesday to the brand and its Summers at Play campaign.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
His spectral like figure seems to rise from the corpse, approaching the camera’s lens before vanishing.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 11 June 2026
If a human worker is approaching to come into contact or collide with the robot, a sub-three-second response lets the system slow down or switch to safe mode.
—Lee-Lean Shu, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Having previously sat on the jury of the 64th Berlinale and chaired the jury of the 37th Tokyo Film Festival, Leung is approaching Shanghai’s Golden Goblet lineup fresh.
—Jenny S. Li, Variety, 11 June 2026
Around the same time, Mark and Jacob Iskander, 11 and 8, were with their mother and younger sibling approaching a crosswalk at Triunfo Canyon Road.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Women approaching perimenopause, or anyone with a family history of osteoporosis, may benefit from talking to a doctor about bone density screening before a fracture forces the conversation.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approaching
Adjective
-
Often the jokes are tied to an upcoming holiday or event.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Add to that mix SpaceX’s upcoming IPO, which could draw so much demand that investors rushing to raise cash to buy shares could unleash a wave of selling that ripples through the stock market.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
While sources said a signing ceremony could be held in Switzerland in the coming days, Iran’s foreign minister suggested the signing could take place remotely.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
The Americans are coming into the match favored at +107, according to FOX Sports, but are coming off a 2-1 loss in their last match, a friendly against Germany last week at Chicago's Soldier Field.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, police said that a 41-year-old Hemet man was driving a Nissan Versa east on Ramona Expressway nearing the intersection.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
Tykhyi added that Ukraine was in talks to obtain interceptor missiles nearing the end of their shelf life, arguing that they could still be provided to Ukraine instead of being disposed of after expiring.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The National Football League, for all its flaws, understands the commercial necessity of approximating fairness.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
-
Enlarging the circle improves accuracy by better approximating a true circle.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
They will be spearheaded by Nuno Espirito Santo, an impending director of football, and majority shareholder David Sullivan.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
-
Day to day, ordinary Peruvians in the coastal cities and in the interior are dealing with escalating crime, fear of impending natural disasters, and corruption and incompetence at every level of government.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
About $10 million of those savings are projected to come from the consolidation of schools — the board will vote next Wednesday on closing and consolidating four different campuses, and could close more in the near future — and other programs.—
Austin Horn
June 11,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
For example, satellite startup Starcloud is closing a funding round of $200 million or more at a $2 billion pre-money valuation, double its last value, according to a person familiar with the matter.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The Spurs outlasted New York 115-111 in Game 3, trimming the Knicks’ series lead to 2-1 entering Wednesday’s Game 4.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
The Rockies, 25-42 entering Wednesday night’s game, are headed toward their eighth consecutive losing season.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Since launch, daily watch time per viewer on Tadka has grown fivefold, reflecting sustained engagement with the format.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
Memorials, a museum and reflecting pools stand on the precise site where the twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Approaching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approaching. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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