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
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Recent Examples of closeness
The choice is somewhat surprising given his closeness to Rob, but Mark’s newfound suspicion of Eric seems to have been his undoing.
—
Tom Smyth, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Schlossberg also opens up about his closeness with his parents, Caroline Kennedy and Ed Schlossberg, as well as his sister, Rose, and shares memories of his late sister, Tatiana.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Summers hasn't faced any criminal accusations, but the emails demonstrate his closeness to Epstein, Lee says.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
Hughes emphasized the closeness between the two teams during the Milan Olympics.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026
Hughes described the closeness between the two teams during the Olympics.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Multi-generational households are also much more common outside the United States, where family closeness and unity is generally more highly prioritized.
—Katrina Donham, Parents, 25 Feb. 2026
There is a continuous interplay of closeness and distance.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Roberts Giuffre wrote about how her mother seemed jealous of her father’s closeness with her.
—Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Tom Smyth, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Schlossberg also opens up about his closeness with his parents, Caroline Kennedy and Ed Schlossberg, as well as his sister, Rose, and shares memories of his late sister, Tatiana.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Summers hasn't faced any criminal accusations, but the emails demonstrate his closeness to Epstein, Lee says.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
Hughes emphasized the closeness between the two teams during the Milan Olympics.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026
Hughes described the closeness between the two teams during the Olympics.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Multi-generational households are also much more common outside the United States, where family closeness and unity is generally more highly prioritized.
—Katrina Donham, Parents, 25 Feb. 2026
There is a continuous interplay of closeness and distance.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Roberts Giuffre wrote about how her mother seemed jealous of her father’s closeness with her.
—Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeness
Noun
-
The roles of bluffing and secrecy in our interactions with others (or, how lying can help—and hurt—us).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Here, state lawmakers enjoy such a privilege of secrecy that the state auditor isn’t even able to audit them.—
Sam Meas,
Boston Herald,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The deal was meant to free the Iranian economy from years of crippling sanctions in return for limits on Iran’s nuclear program, notably its enrichment of uranium.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Years of sanctions, economic mismanagement and corruption have gutted Iran’s economy.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The ambiguity matters because Iran could be assessing both survivability and accuracy under real combat conditions.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
-
With a commitment to accuracy, accountability and innovation, the AJC is building on its legacy to redefine what a local news brand can be.—
Hugo Rojo,
AJC.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Tamara Wilson portrayed Isolde with a soprano that could blaze thrillingly, but also shade down to subtle intimacies.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Sharing too much too soon can create a false sense of intimacy that feels real but isn’t rooted in actual trust, leaving you more exposed and blindsided if the connection does fade.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Companies like GlobalWafers, Wistron, and Inventec are investing billions, with energy resources, strong talent pools supported by robust education systems, and proximity to tech hubs as the main reasons.—
Victoria Baeza Garcia,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
That level of proximity does more than create memories.—
Becca Brazil,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 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
-
Powell, 32, has also been playing through lower back tightness in recent games.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Foscue, who exited Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels with hamstring tightness, is a few days behind Jung and Higashioka.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeness. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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