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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in proximity
the state or condition of being near
we were surprised by the closeness of everything to our downtown loft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 closeness
His supporters have defended his closeness to Trump as pragmatism given the 2026 World Cup will be cohosted by the United States.
—
Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
Young voters in particular have shunned Orbán’s hard-right party, mainly over economic concerns and his closeness with Moscow.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
His closeness with Russian President Vladimir Putin was noted.
—Sam McNeil, Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2026
His closeness with Russian President Vladimir Putin was noted.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Despite the distance, many across Central Florida will feel a unique closeness to these four travelers.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
The bond between a mother and a daughter is unlike any other—and the closeness between Kate Middleton and her only daughter, Princess Charlotte, was on full display on Easter Sunday.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 5 Apr. 2026
Building intentional connection rituals before separating for the night helps maintain closeness, as does treating it as a trial period rather than a permanent shift.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Loss of spontaneous physical closeness can happen if couples are not deliberate about staying connected, and cost and space are genuine barriers for many households.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
Young voters in particular have shunned Orbán’s hard-right party, mainly over economic concerns and his closeness with Moscow.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
His closeness with Russian President Vladimir Putin was noted.
—Sam McNeil, Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2026
His closeness with Russian President Vladimir Putin was noted.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Despite the distance, many across Central Florida will feel a unique closeness to these four travelers.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
The bond between a mother and a daughter is unlike any other—and the closeness between Kate Middleton and her only daughter, Princess Charlotte, was on full display on Easter Sunday.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 5 Apr. 2026
Building intentional connection rituals before separating for the night helps maintain closeness, as does treating it as a trial period rather than a permanent shift.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Loss of spontaneous physical closeness can happen if couples are not deliberate about staying connected, and cost and space are genuine barriers for many households.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeness
Noun
-
Such spending flourishes in secrecy, and this year’s artificial rush toward a last-minute deal suggests that more giveaways are coming.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
-
And so a small crop of AI infrastructure firms has sprung up to solve what amounts to AI’s secrecy problem.—
Erik German,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As of April 2, 26 South Korean vessels remained stranded in the Persian Gulf, and South Korea is suffering some of the worst effects of the Iran conflict to its energy sector and economy of any non-combatant country, the CSIS said.—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The pharma industry is a cornerstone of Europe’s economy, but the continent’s declining competitiveness has companies looking elsewhere to place investments.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Advanced statistical modeling revealed that a group of six piRNAs alone predicted two‑year survival with accuracy as high as 86%.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Improvements in timing accuracy can also open doors to new science.—
Andrei Derevianko,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Through it all, however, West struggled with depression and a sense of self-loathing, and had trouble with intimacy, much of it a by-product of a hardscrabble childhood in West Virginia with a domineering father.—
Stuart Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
-
With her own background in academia and her deep love of poetry, Deadwyler’s intimacy with the role is immediate and winning.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
-
When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Just as essential a consideration as carefulness for committee members, though, is speed.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
McCarthy is not the first Hollywood conservative to discuss the industry’s secretiveness over Republicanism.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Arizona, which had won three straight, did not use catcher Gabriel Moreno, who left Friday's game because of left lower back tightness and was sent for an MRI.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña exited in the fourth because of right posterior knee tightness.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeness. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
