1
as in secrecy
the practice or habit of keeping secrets or keeping one's affairs secret
we tried to penetrate her strange closeness about her domestic life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in economy
the quality or practice of being overly sparing with money
rebelled against his parents' closeness with his allowance
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in accuracy
the quality or state of being very accurate
the body was too decomposed to estimate the time of death with any great closeness
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4
as in intimacy
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
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5
as in proximity
the state or condition of being near
we were surprised by the closeness of everything to our downtown loft
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6
as in carefulness
strict attentiveness to what one is doing
how much you get out of the sermon will depend on the closeness with which you listen to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of closeness
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
The two men develop a closeness.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
Yet this closeness came at a cost.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
That sense of closeness hasn't faded with time — in fact, Knight says it's only deepened over the decades.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Quattrone and Lim kept a feeling of closeness and intimacy throughout the sprawling property by adding sumptuous fabrics and artwork with personal significance.
—Camille Okhio, Architectural Digest, 29 Apr. 2026
Austin is clever enough to suspect that Lindsay is trying to get something out of her sudden closeness with Ashley, but Ashley doesn’t want to hear it.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Becoming secure Having a secure attachment style looks like being comfortable with closeness and the ebbs and flows of relationships without feeling threatened or deeply wounded.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
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
The two men develop a closeness.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
Yet this closeness came at a cost.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
That sense of closeness hasn't faded with time — in fact, Knight says it's only deepened over the decades.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Quattrone and Lim kept a feeling of closeness and intimacy throughout the sprawling property by adding sumptuous fabrics and artwork with personal significance.
—Camille Okhio, Architectural Digest, 29 Apr. 2026
Austin is clever enough to suspect that Lindsay is trying to get something out of her sudden closeness with Ashley, but Ashley doesn’t want to hear it.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Becoming secure Having a secure attachment style looks like being comfortable with closeness and the ebbs and flows of relationships without feeling threatened or deeply wounded.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeness
Noun
-
When Allegheny County Elections has processed the request, staff will send out a packet of accessible voting material, including a return envelope and a secrecy envelope, as well as an email with instructions for how to access the ballot.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Despite the secrecy, television broadcaster Emi Livaniou shared a photo of herself with Karlaftis.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Since ending 14 years of Conservative rule roiled by austerity and the Covid-19 pandemic, Labour has struggled to ease the cost of living and jump-start a sluggish economy against the tough economic backdrop of war in Ukraine and, more recently, Iran.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
-
Backers of the data center, including Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, say that the project will boost the local economy and that increasing America’s computing and energy production capacity is crucial for national security.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
The focus here is skin-tone accuracy, soft highlights, and polished minimalism.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
Though the longest hitters in the game are finding ways to pick up more speed every year — either through equipment changes or exercise regimens geared toward explosiveness — those same players are trending in the opposite direction in accuracy.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The creative team behind the Broadway adaptation says the stage version aims to bring that same sense of intimacy and dread to live theater audiences.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
The design team includes Soutra Gilmour (scenic & costume design), Jon Clark (lighting design), Ben and Max Ringham (sound designers & composers), Fabian Aloise (choreographer), Carole Hancock (hair, wigs & make-up), Kate Waters (fight director), and Ingrid Mackinnon (intimacy coordinator).—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
For example, the agency hasn't announced whether or not the astronauts will enter the landers while in Earth orbit, or whether Orion will dock with the spacecraft at all, or simply perform proximity operations maneuvers around them.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
-
With its proximity to Los Angeles and deep ties to the entertainment industry, the city is increasingly exploring how public space activation can intersect with private sector collaboration.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
There was no carefulness in it.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
Organizations can benefit by valuing carefulness and concentration not as an obligation, but as a fundamental pillar of success.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
McCarthy is not the first Hollywood conservative to discuss the industry’s secretiveness over Republicanism.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Baltimore scratched infielder Blaze Alexander before the game with right calf tightness.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
-
Patients may later develop coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightness from fluid building in the lungs, according to the CDC.—
Eva Flowe
May 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeness. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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