1
as in to end
to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point
the team closed out the season with major losses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to exclude
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of
don't assume an attitude that closes out any possibility of a compromise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of close out
Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
The Rangers ended up going 1 for 2 on save opportunities on the day with Tyler Alexander closing out a dicey 10th after the Rangers scored two runs on a wild pitch and a two-out single by Andrew McCutchen.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
The crowd rose to its feet, applauding a series of highlights not of dunks or 3s or fancy passes, but of closeouts and steals and slipped screens, the kind of grit that eventually made Nickeil Alexander-Walker a lot of money.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for close out
Verb
An inning later, Lewis hit his blast, breaking the game open, before a collection of relievers — Anthony Banda, Kody Funderburk, Eric Orze, Justin Topa and Cole Sands — closed out the game.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
The Rangers ended up going 1 for 2 on save opportunities on the day with Tyler Alexander closing out a dicey 10th after the Rangers scored two runs on a wild pitch and a two-out single by Andrew McCutchen.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
Less than two minutes later, the second-year Celtic received a pass from Payton Pritchard, dodged around a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander closeout and nailed a 3-pointer that stretched his team’s lead to double digits.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
The crowd rose to its feet, applauding a series of highlights not of dunks or 3s or fancy passes, but of closeouts and steals and slipped screens, the kind of grit that eventually made Nickeil Alexander-Walker a lot of money.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for close out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for close out
Verb
-
Oh, and after a Collins strikeout finally ended the streak in the sixth, Isbel promptly led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
-
According to Max Preps, the JSerra Lions ended the 2025 season with a 3-7 record and went 0-5 in the Trinity League against powerhouse like Mater Dei.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Eagles had in mind city-dwelling male breadwinners and excluded household and domestic work from their vision of who was among the deserving.—
Trevor Jackson,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Baldwin excluded, the top of the Braves lineup still has some work to do.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After all, a bit more than a decade later, hostilities would explode anew in the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, during which Nasser shut the canal again.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The Nets responded with a 10-0 run to slam the door shut.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Unplug the appliance first, then carefully pull the device out far enough to give yourself clearance to clean behind it.—
Lori Keong,
Architectural Digest,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Once a vessel enters Iranian waters, IRGC commanders hail it over the marine radio channels to request the clearance code.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Passover always starts and finishes in the evening, but traditions can vary depending on geographical location.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
As my colleague Sam McDowell deftly summed up last week, Royals outfielders combined in 2025 to finish last in on-base percentage, 29th in OPS (on-base plus slugging), 29th in home runs and 30th in runs.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The country’s then-supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, even went as far as issuing a fatwa, or legal ruling under Islamic law, banning them.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
-
North Korea banned all foreign tourists during the pandemic but has started easing the restrictions, with a Russian tour group entering the country in 2024.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Another important note to make is that Lupaia is closed during the winter season for improvements to the rooms, garden, public area, and overall guest experience since the weather is too unpredictable to welcome guests during that time anyway.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
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The company announced plans to close 270 locations in 2025, which, added to the roughly 800 net closures over the previous three years as reported by the Wall Street Journal, totals more than 1,000 closures.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Still, some investors are looking for bargains and signs that the downturn may be close to a bottom.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
So in some places, $16 is actually a bargain.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Close out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/close%20out. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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