not being distant in time, space, or significance
my birthday is close to Christmasa shopping mall that is very close to the highwaythese words are close synonyms
the state of being in a very personal or private relationship
the closeness of their relationship was a matter of intense speculation among their coworkers
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of close
Adjective
As Russia’s closest ally, China would not break with Moscow by endorsing an unconditional cease-fire, but it, too, would be discomfited by having to explain this choice.—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025 Always check with your closest location to confirm participation.—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
Costco warehouses were all closed for Labor Day, and are closed for a total of seven days out of the year.—Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Nov. 2025 Comedian Stavros Halkias has closed a multi-year deal with SiriusXM, under which the company will exclusively handle the distribution and monetization for his hit podcast Stavvy’s World.—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
Adverb
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Tianjin Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, and Rice University, the work could reshape how scientists think about pollution cleanup by looking closer at the tiniest details hidden in common minerals.—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025 With one out already on the board, Rojas stepped up in the ninth hole and delivered a line-drive home run, hitting the ball over the wall on a hanging pitch by Toronto Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman.—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
In the photo carousel, Kardashian shared an up-close look of both the front and back of the thong suit, which was also worn with a blue long-sleeve shirt and maroon tie.—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025 Toru Kubota’s war documentary My Camera, My Gun was presented with the TAICCA X CNC Award at the close of TCCF Pitching, a four-day pitching event held during Taiwan Creative Content Fest (November 4-7).—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
They have been displayed before, but showing them off on Honda's home turf was a nod to the closeness of their production timing, experts told Newsweek.—Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025 This closeness causes gravitational instability that existing planetary formation models have suggested should result in an environment unsuitable for planet formation.—Robert Lea, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for close
Wearing a well-fitting, high-quality mask in crowded indoor spaces also can reduce the risk of contracting respiratory infections or spreading your illness to others.
—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
With wintry weather and crowded airports, Thanksgiving travel can already be stressful.
These particles emerge from a coronal mass ejection or a solar flare that bursts out from our nearest star.
—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Queen Letizia’s wardrobe selections for the state gala dinner on Tuesday night was a near-exact replica of the Spanish royal’s attire for the state banquet at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in April 2024, during the Spanish royals‘ state visit to the country.
During this time frame, a narrow, intense lake-effect snow band, only about 10 miles wide, will be capable of thunder, wind gusts near 35 mph and near-zero visibility at its peak.
—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
The climb is infamous for its heart-pumping switchbacks and vertiginous jaunt along a narrow sliver of crag.
The Chinese retailer, known for its range of cheap ultra-fast-fashion clothing and criticisms of its labor and environmental practices, is nestled on the sixth floor of a more than century-old building in Paris, a city famous for high-end fashion and a recent green push.
—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
The other side of this has been the money in the industry’s pivot first to cheaper talk shows, which don’t innovate enough to merit much critique, and now to a second pivot to turn those interview shows into video series, which makes podcasts more friendly on TikTok and Instagram and YouTube.
If accurate even only in part, such a dramatic escalation would cast doubt on the reliability of the election results and put the military at the center of the blame for the outcome.
—
Peter D. Feaver,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
The median offers a more accurate view of what's happening in a market than the average sales price, which would mean taking the sum of all sales prices then dividing by the number of homes sold.
—
USA TODAY Network,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Nov. 2025
Share