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 tests are approaching A parabolic flight campaign scheduled for November 2026 will examine electromagnetic actuation and tile mobility in microgravity. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 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

The driver of a box truck that was also westbound, traveling in the center lane, had moved into the right lane and was approaching the crash scene. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 28 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

Election Day is approaching, and early voting will end this weekend. — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026

With midterm elections and the holiday season approaching, more prospective issuers could opt to wait until early 2027. — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

Some appeals claim a donation deadline is approaching or suggest a candidate faces an immediate financial emergency. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026