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
-
Trump unveiled the Iran agreement on his 80th birthday in the US, just hours before hosting a White House UFC event celebrating the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
-
The President's son sent out an aerial-view video of the upcoming event.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
During the 2025 Game Awards, Crystal Dynamics and Amazon Game Studios revealed two new Lara Croft-centric video games are coming — and there's a new actress behind the lead role.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Dec. 2025
-
That includes next-generation destroyers and amphibious ships that will form the backbone of the fleet in the coming decades.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Dec. 2025
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
-
That effort, now nearing its end, is giving way to plans to preserve large portions of Remington Woods for public use — which advocates are hailing as one of the largest such conservation efforts along the heavily urbanized East Coast in nearly a century.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Lynch and Weselcouch implemented precisely this clever technique for approximating pi in Minecraft in 2024.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
25 May 2026
-
So, which games are best for approximating the challenges Artemis will face in settling the moon's surface?—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But the message wasn’t about a missing person or an impending storm.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2026
-
As for Sunday’s start of the negotiation period with their own impending free agents, the Heat have several players to consider, with some having been tied to the team’s pursuit of Antetokounmpo.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Captain Jim’s Seafood Market & Restaurant, a no-frills spot that served fresh fish and shellfish in the city for 30 years, is closing for good.—
Connie Ogle
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 17 Jun. 2026.
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