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
How does the adjective close contrast with its synonyms?
Some common synonyms of close are miserly, niggardly, parsimonious, penurious, and stingy. While all these words mean "being unwilling or showing unwillingness to share with others," close suggests keeping a tight grip on one's money and possessions.
folks who are very close when charity calls
When can miserly be used instead of close?
The synonyms miserly and close are sometimes interchangeable, but miserly suggests a sordid avariciousness and a morbid pleasure in hoarding.
a miserly couple devoid of social conscience
Where would niggardly be a reasonable alternative to close?
Although the words niggardly and close have much in common, niggardly implies giving or spending the very smallest amount possible.
the niggardly amount budgeted for the town library
In what contexts can parsimonious take the place of close?
While in some cases nearly identical to close, parsimonious suggests a frugality so extreme as to lead to stinginess.
a parsimonious lifestyle notably lacking in luxuries
When is it sensible to use penurious instead of close?
The meanings of penurious and close largely overlap; however, penurious implies niggardliness that gives an appearance of actual poverty.
the penurious eccentric bequeathed a fortune
When could stingy be used to replace close?
In some situations, the words stingy and close are roughly equivalent. However, stingy implies a marked lack of generosity.
a stingy child, not given to sharing
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of close
Adjective
Norway’s foreign ministry said that the government has strengthened oversight, with sales of its most sensitive defense technologies now restricted to the country's allies and closest partners.—ABC News, 19 May 2026 Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman, who not long ago played for the Royals, retired the side and Boston improved to 20-27.—Kansas City Star, 19 May 2026
Verb
Thursday marked 10 days since Orlando dismissed Mosley as the team’s 15th coach, and so far not much has been disclosed from what’s expected to be a close-to-the-vest search under president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman.—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026 Turn off the oven and keep the door closed so the warmth and steam can loosen grime.—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 May 2026
Adverb
Not everyone is in favor of TSA moving closer to privatization.—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 18 May 2026 Exact programming details will be announced closer to those dates.—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 18 May 2026
Noun
The open kitchen has custom soft-close cabinetry, stone countertops, a microwave–convection oven, and an island that will be your only eating and cooking surface.—Katie McDonough, Curbed, 18 May 2026 After multiple surprise extensions and a few late season snowstorms, Colorado's long and difficult ski season has officially come to a close.—Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Noun
Having gifted us this wonderful illusion of closeness, Hit Me Hard and Soft — The Tour (Live in 3D) now offers her the grace of distance.—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026 The closeness of the three doesn’t stop at the hospital doors.—Nancy Badertscher, AJC.com, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for close
Hilton and Becerra have been neck and neck in recent June primary polls, often leading a crowded field of gubernatorial candidates.
—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Curated by Our Editors In the latter outbreak, a person who was likely infected by a rodent and had fever symptoms attended a crowded birthday party with around 100 other people for 90 minutes.
The dedicated Moon Mode within Vaonis' Singularity app delivers a live, non-stacked view of the lunar surface, refreshing every few seconds for a near real-time observing experience.
—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
In the near-term, refueling will enable Starships to fly to the Moon to serve as landers for NASA’s Artemis program.
The five-time Masters champ was arrested March 27 on a DUI charge after the crash, which occurred when his Land Rover SUV attempted to pass a pickup truck pulling a pressure-cleaner trailer on a narrow, two-lane road in the Treasure Coast town.
—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
The company also topped revenue expectations for the first quarter and posted a narrower-than-expected loss than analysts anticipated, according to FactSet.
But as examples like those above illustrate, there’s little reason for companies to resort to outright spying like this, because users simply can’t wait to divulge the most intimate details of their minds and bodies voluntarily.
—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
14 May 2026
Inside an intimate pub, however, filling out the scene with empty tables could distract from the hurried, nervous nature of the filmmaker’s original intent.
Misael eating meat alone, cutting up pieces with an enormous knife while barely lit by the flames in front of him, and, sporadically, almost-silent lightning bursts in the distant background.
—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
My cancer was so silent that two gynecologists hadn’t considered it as a possible diagnosis, and at least one radiologist had entirely missed my tumor—as wide as a peach and as long as my hand.
The reason all of this is happening, probably more than any other, is that clipping is cheap.
—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Surprisingly the most expensive hairpiece so far has been Attenborough’s, which Fortune reveals was a hybrid of a cheap £20 ($26) wig at the back combined with tens of man-hours knotting individual strands of hair onto a lace front to create the centenarian’s familiar pate.
One breathless Iranian pensioner explained how the essential product is now six times more expensive in Iran than in Turkey, amid a spiraling cost-of-living crisis that shows no sign of easing.
—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
Everyone in town seems to have a breathless story about their own eagle encounters.
Yet his account is dead-on accurate, and for proof one need only look to the original Progressives, who were open in their disdain of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
Should one ever want to imagine what a future boutique resort could look like on the Moon, or Mars, a stay at Echo could be the most accurate preview.