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
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
The 2026 Met Gala is fast approaching.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
And that means the regular season is fast approaching.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Valentine’s Day, the holiday for flowers, chocolates and romantic dinners with someone special, is fast approaching.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 5 Feb. 2026
In Maryland and New York, however, candidate filing deadlines are fast approaching, after which redrawing congressional maps would be nearly impossible.
—David M. Drucker, Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2026
Memphis has some great dining options for a romantic night out, especially with Valentine's Day fast approaching.
—Jacob Wilt, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 3 Feb. 2026
Texas' March primaries are right around the corner, which means the deadline to register to vote is fast approaching.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
The self-assessment tax deadline is fast approaching, but landlords and the self-employed will soon have new HMRC requirements to follow – known as Making Tax Digital.
—Marc Shoffman, TheWeek, 14 Jan. 2026
Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Mar. 2026
Communities have used loud sirens to warn people about approaching storms, tsunamis and tornadoes, but now some activists in Los Angeles are using sirens to warn about immigration agents.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The commission was facing a fast-approaching deadline of May 7 to draft, approve and submit a proposal to the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, a research arm of the Florida Legislature, to qualify for the November ballot.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
Last month, the FBI released photos of a masked assailant approaching the elderly woman’s front door in the middle of the night.
—Jodi Guglielmi, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2026
Now, leaders within the Social Security Administration are warning of the approaching exhaustion of these funds.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
The company said the aircraft reached high supersonic speeds approaching Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Mar. 2026
Among the top 10 most common claims for dogs, more than half are chronic, ongoing health issues, most of them approaching or exceeding $1,000 in annual veterinarian bills.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Year 2 under Tim Albin is rapidly approaching, and Wednesday’s American Conference schedule release finalized the task ahead for the Charlotte 49ers, who are looking to bounce back from a one-win season in 2025.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
The 98th Academy Awards are fast approaching, awarding the best in moviemaking across 2025.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
The 2026 Met Gala is fast approaching.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
And that means the regular season is fast approaching.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Valentine’s Day, the holiday for flowers, chocolates and romantic dinners with someone special, is fast approaching.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 5 Feb. 2026
In Maryland and New York, however, candidate filing deadlines are fast approaching, after which redrawing congressional maps would be nearly impossible.
—David M. Drucker, Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2026
Memphis has some great dining options for a romantic night out, especially with Valentine's Day fast approaching.
—Jacob Wilt, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 3 Feb. 2026
Texas' March primaries are right around the corner, which means the deadline to register to vote is fast approaching.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
The self-assessment tax deadline is fast approaching, but landlords and the self-employed will soon have new HMRC requirements to follow – known as Making Tax Digital.
—Marc Shoffman, TheWeek, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
Spring is approaching, and the outdoors is starting to look inviting instead of dreary after a dark, chilly winter.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Mar. 2026
Communities have used loud sirens to warn people about approaching storms, tsunamis and tornadoes, but now some activists in Los Angeles are using sirens to warn about immigration agents.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The commission was facing a fast-approaching deadline of May 7 to draft, approve and submit a proposal to the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, a research arm of the Florida Legislature, to qualify for the November ballot.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
Last month, the FBI released photos of a masked assailant approaching the elderly woman’s front door in the middle of the night.
—Jodi Guglielmi, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2026
Now, leaders within the Social Security Administration are warning of the approaching exhaustion of these funds.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
The company said the aircraft reached high supersonic speeds approaching Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Mar. 2026
Among the top 10 most common claims for dogs, more than half are chronic, ongoing health issues, most of them approaching or exceeding $1,000 in annual veterinarian bills.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Year 2 under Tim Albin is rapidly approaching, and Wednesday’s American Conference schedule release finalized the task ahead for the Charlotte 49ers, who are looking to bounce back from a one-win season in 2025.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for approaching
Adjective
-
Her work focuses on connecting with culture and history through the visual world, which is evident in her books Patterns of India, and the upcoming Patterns of Portugal (Clarkson Potter, 2024).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
-
With her complexion routine down pat, Dean is looking forward to playing with colorful makeup and changing up her hair styles on her upcoming tour—without sacrificing the health of those signature curls.—
Natalie Campbell,
Allure,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Those cuts are now baked into the base budgets for agencies, and lawmakers will vote on them in the coming weeks.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
When the scam fell apart amid regulatory and legal scrutiny late last decade, the resulting scandal rocked the nascent green energy sector, coming several years after another California firm, Solyndra, collapsed after receiving a half-billion-dollar loan guarantee from the federal government.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On Wednesday, the Rams general manager appeared to be getting closer to addressing his team’s most pressing need by nearing a possible agreement with the Kansas City Chiefs to trade for cornerback Trent McDuffie, a person with knowledge of the situation said.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Foligno’s time with the Hawks seems to be nearing its end — if not Friday, likely this offseason for the impending free agent — meaning the locker room will become even younger.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In these walls of white noise, Martin channels Paysage d’Hiver, a Swiss black-metal artist who has made a whole career—and a lot of lore—out of approximating winter storms through blindingly white guitar fuzz and overwhelming dark-ambient atmospheres.—
Andrew Ryce,
Pitchfork,
27 Feb. 2026
-
In the others, researchers cranked up the heat in greenhouses, approximating the effects of global warming.—
Drew Kann,
AJC.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
There is chatter of an impending reduction or reorganization of the international NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, which has been in place since 1999 to stabilize the country following war in the Balkans.—
Beth Bailey,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Back in Tehran, where heavy bombardment hit several locations including residential areas late Thursday night, residents have said they, too, are given no warnings about impending attacks.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Oil storage tanks are filling up across the region, analysts say, since exports have all but stopped due to the Iranians effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The White Bicycle Plan, created by the countercultural Provo movement in 1960s Amsterdam, proposed closing the city center to cars as part of an effort to curb pollution and improve people’s experience of public space.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Finally, humans have become technologically advanced over the past few thousand years, entering the space age in the mid-20th century.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Aerial images on Pamplico showed what appeared to be SWAT officers entering the backyard of a home.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Eco effort Guest rooms are designed without single-use plastics, reflecting a commitment to more sustainable hospitality practices.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Mar. 2026
-
These adjustments, referred to as population controls, are likely to show steep downward revisions to both population and labor-force levels – largely reflecting reduced immigration.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Approaching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/approaching. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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