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
Exercises like Aron’s 36 questions are designed to reveal the most interesting, truest things about a person, and self‑ disclosure, trust building, and mutual appreciation accelerate closeness.
—
Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
As for the rest of Guojun and Silvia’s children, the teen-ager, Susan, had been allowed to live with Silvia, on the basis that her age and her closeness to her mother set her apart from any safety risks faced by her younger siblings.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Let closeness feel mutual, not draining.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 8 Feb. 2026
Note that the Portuguese service is well-known for its special amability and closeness.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Feb. 2026
But closeness can also backfire.
—Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
It's not known, but one is inclined to think that this affinity is the result of years of collaboration between the two, a closeness that's now reflected in their fashion choices.
—Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 31 Jan. 2026
Executive producer and star of the film, Danielle Brooks, stuns with her performance as a mother trying to juggle it all and offers an honest portrayal of what happens when extenuating circumstances prevent closeness and warmth within a household.
—Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
As the boys grew, that closeness only deepened, and eventually, her father made a decision that changed the family’s daily life.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
As for the rest of Guojun and Silvia’s children, the teen-ager, Susan, had been allowed to live with Silvia, on the basis that her age and her closeness to her mother set her apart from any safety risks faced by her younger siblings.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Let closeness feel mutual, not draining.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 8 Feb. 2026
Note that the Portuguese service is well-known for its special amability and closeness.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Feb. 2026
But closeness can also backfire.
—Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
It's not known, but one is inclined to think that this affinity is the result of years of collaboration between the two, a closeness that's now reflected in their fashion choices.
—Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 31 Jan. 2026
Executive producer and star of the film, Danielle Brooks, stuns with her performance as a mother trying to juggle it all and offers an honest portrayal of what happens when extenuating circumstances prevent closeness and warmth within a household.
—Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
As the boys grew, that closeness only deepened, and eventually, her father made a decision that changed the family’s daily life.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeness
Noun
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While neither has been accused of wrongdoing, the critics of the secrecy contend that potential criminal defendants are being hidden.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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The disclosures come as public trust in the tech industry has eroded over the past decade, amid a growing belief that the wealthy elite have been allowed to operate above the law in a shroud of secrecy.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Syria is trying to improve its economy after a long war that killed nearly half a million people and caused widespread destruction.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
-
In China, once a major market for Nvidia, US tech controls have restricted exports of its cutting-edge chips, significantly impacting sales in the world’s second largest economy.—
Rosa de Acosta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Raffensperger defended the accuracy of his state's election results.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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Engineers have struggled to close the reaction gap between human perception and machine processing without sacrificing accuracy.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Kurt's key takeaway Dating apps thrive on intimacy, but cyberattacks turn that intimacy into a massive risk.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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The budding romance between 20th-century combat nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall and 18th-century Highland warrior Jamie Fraser was undeniably swoonworthy; the intimacy thoughtfully rendered.—
Amy Wilkinson,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Looking back, perhaps the problem was the proximity to my bed, something about the angle of the light from the window.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Most seats wrap the chef’s counter, where the proximity to the kitchen gives dinner an immersive, almost behind-the-scenes dinner party feel.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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Just as essential a consideration as carefulness for committee members, though, is speed.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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McCarthy is not the first Hollywood conservative to discuss the industry’s secretiveness over Republicanism.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Bam Adebayo is listed as probable with hip tightness.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
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Respiratory Conditions Chronic respiratory conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affect your lungs and airways, causing symptoms like coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeness. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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