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
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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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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
That’s where Klaus Mann (August Diehl), Thomas’ homosexual Communist son, would end up taking his own life, but a furtive phone call between twin brother and sister reveals both their closeness as well as the fractures in a broken family dynamic.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
People with this style often value independence to the point that closeness can feel uncomfortable, or even threatening.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 12 May 2026
The closeness between Microsoft and OpenAI has flared up at other points.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 11 May 2026
Mother’s Day tends to be about devotion and closeness.
—Joshua Coleman, Washington Post, 9 May 2026
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
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
People with this style often value independence to the point that closeness can feel uncomfortable, or even threatening.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 12 May 2026
The closeness between Microsoft and OpenAI has flared up at other points.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 11 May 2026
Mother’s Day tends to be about devotion and closeness.
—Joshua Coleman, Washington Post, 9 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeness
Noun
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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
-
The latest impasse leaves the ceasefire between the two sides in an increasingly uncertain place as the global economy gets hit by the war’s impact on trade.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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The rapid rise of microdramas, short-form storytelling, and creator economies is on Zon’s radar, particularly given Indonesia’s position as one of Asia’s most dynamic digital markets.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 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
-
With two Canadian host cities and a home crowd to play to, that absence is conspicuous in a roster otherwise built around proximity to the action.—
Maureen Kerr,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Another consideration for those monitoring at home is proximity to medical care.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
15 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
-
Just as in April, lobbying from Asian allies and more tightness in the oil market could still prompt the administration to to issue a new waiver later.—
Jennifer A. Dlouhy,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
-
Yet Suarez also missed his last turn in the rotation after leaving his May 3 start in the fourth inning due to right hamstring tightness.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeness. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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