Synonyms of approaching

approaching 1 of 2

adjective

as in upcoming

being soon to appear or take place

the approaching holiday has everyone in a state of excitement

Synonyms & Similar Words

• upcoming
• coming
• impending
• nearing
• to come
• imminent
• oncoming
• forthcoming
• at hand
• on hand
• future
• proximate
• pending
• on tap
• anticipated
• predicted
• awaited
• expected
• foreseen

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recent
• late
• past
• other
• sometime
• old
• former
• foregone
• bygone
• erstwhile
• onetime
• whilom
• quondam

approaching

2 of 2

verb

present participle of approach

1

as in coming

to come near or nearer

the parade's approaching! I can hear the band playing!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• coming
• closing
• nearing
• arriving
• reaching
• drawing on
• coming up
• closing in
• attaining
• hitting
• landing
• nighing
• bellying up
• gaining
• making
• bordering
• verging
• showing up
• turning up
• touching
• adjoining
• creeping up
• waltzing (up)
• sneaking up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• retreating
• withdrawing
• receding
• retiring
• backing (up or away)
• leaving
• going
• exiting
• removing
• departing
• quitting
• running away
• pulling out
• walking out
• taking off
• shoving (off)
• clearing out
• lighting out

2

as in nearing

to move closer to

approach the bull with caution

Synonyms & Similar Words

• coming
• nearing
• entering
• advancing
• nighing
• dropping in
• popping (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• going
• withdrawing
• retreating
• leaving
• departing
• receding (from)
• exiting

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

• approximating
• reflecting
• comparing (with)
• matching
• measuring up (to)
• stacking up (against or with)
• mirroring
• paralleling
• holding a candle to
• amounting (to)
• coming (to)
• adding up (to)
• duplicating
• equaling
• touching (on)
• bordering (on)
• verging (on)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of approaching

Adjective

Best Amazon Dress Sales Under $50 Fall is fast approaching, and while sundress season is technically over, these dresses will carry you over into the cooler months. — Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026

August 29, the fictional date (in 1997) of the franchise’s original nuclear holocaust, is fast approaching, and Judgment Day is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Not only is retirement looming at some not-too-distant time, but the college drop-off is fast approaching. — Ken Stern, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

The time for my wife and me to say goodbye was fast approaching. — John Biemer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Fall is fast approaching, but the Red Sox look like their spring selves again in the worst way. — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 12 Aug. 2026

While the deadline is fast approaching, Montour keeps working away. — Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

The Minnesota State Fair is fast approaching, and this year there will be several new attractions, vendors and rides. — Aki Nace, CBS News, 30 July 2026

The point is, the way Social Security is currently set up, the day of reckoning is fast approaching. — Bydoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 July 2026

Verb

The ideal course for Bowman is a younger player approaching peak output. — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

The price of Brent crude oil is approaching $100 a barrel again, and the average price for a gallon of gas remains about $4 a gallon. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Men, meanwhile, were more likely to indicate difficulty approaching people or just a lack of time. — Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026

Video released by the prosecutor’s office showed Exton approaching the table and removing a handgun from his pocket. — Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026

Atletico coach Diego Simeone is approaching 15 years at the club and starts his 14th straight season in the Champions League. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026

But his appeal to the Iranian population comes as the administration increasingly portrays Tehran as approaching an internal breaking point. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Getting Your Financials In Order Before approaching a lender, make sure your financials are current and accurate. — Joseph Lustberg, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Meanwhile, flu and COVID infections are on the rise, students are returning to school, and the fall and winter respiratory season is approaching. — Rob Stein, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026