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

But Chang, who was then working for a solar-energy startup, found the proceedings unexpectedly disinterested in political strategy, even as the 2024 Presidential election was fast approaching. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026

The deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania for the 2026 midterm election is fast approaching. — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

The implications are worrying, especially when considering the fact that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are fast approaching. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

The 2026 midterm elections are fast approaching, and in some states, voters are already casting ballots. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

Election day in South Dakota is fast approaching, and several important statewide offices will be on your ballots. — Gabriel Brito, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 9 Sep. 2026

Turtleneck season is fast approaching, and there are more ways than ever to wear the versatile layering piece. — Jennifer Hussein, InStyle, 5 Sep. 2026

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

Verb

Two days later, a neighbor’s doorbell camera picked up video of a man matching Sapov’s description approaching the victim’s door while wearing a full-face rubber mask. — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2026

With less than an hour before polls close in most parts of Texas, voters who received mail-in ballots are also approaching an important deadline. — S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

Special tools were then used to carry out the delicate operation, and extra caution was exercised to avoid any vibrations while approaching the wreck that may set off the unexploded bombs still inside the wreck. — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026

With the holiday season fast approaching, Blake Lively is certainly back in her element. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026

Attend a Peaceful Concert in a Historic Church What’s the antidote for the approaching dark, chilly days? — Allison Yates, Midwest Living, 3 Nov. 2026

This in a state in which total combined advertising for the two major party candidates is approaching $400 million. — Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026

Many clinics require patients to show up in person every single day, with average one-way drive times approaching 50 minutes in rural communities. — Yashaswini Singh, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026

Released late Tuesday night, the footage captures Pagano speaking with Councilmember Ben Brown before approaching Andreatta. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026