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
Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
Then the Bulls countered with a 16-5 run to close out the game and get the road victory.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
End-of-season closeout deals are up to 81% off, including comforters filled with goose feathers, gel fibers, silk, and more.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for close out
Verb
The Aggies have won two straight games and will close out a two-game homestand Saturday.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
Then the Bulls countered with a 16-5 run to close out the game and get the road victory.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
On Paul George’s early closeout, Anunoby swings the ball to Miles McBride, target-practice for a knockdown shooter in yet another breakout season in New York.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
End-of-season closeout deals are up to 81% off, including comforters filled with goose feathers, gel fibers, silk, and more.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for close out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for close out
Verb
-
Tesla signaled a major shift in its business as CEO Elon Musk told investors the company will end production of its longest-running premium electric vehicles.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
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That lawsuit ended earlier this month after the immigrant detainee who filed the case agreed to be removed from the United States.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Delcy Rodríguez said Friday that the amnesty would apply to cases from 1999 to the present, but would exclude those prosecuted for homicide, drug trafficking, corruption and human rights violations.—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
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Garnett is also set to rule on a defense request to exclude evidence seized from Mangione’s backpack when he was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dozens will enter and leave daily at first The Rafah crossing has been largely shut since Israel seized it in May 2024.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The crash decimated homes and vehicles, forcing families from their homes and businesses to shut their doors.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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These critiques were made during a time of growing revulsion against slum clearance and heavy-handed urban-renewal attempts; the reentry of the creative classes to city centers was only beginning to gain notice.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
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Back in 1997, in Huambo, Angola, just a few miles from one of the sources of the Okavango, my mother walked through a live minefield being cleared by the HALO Trust, a humanitarian land mine clearance charity.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But one accolade missing from their long list of achievements is Olympic ice dance gold, having finished just off the podium in fourth in Beijing.—
Michelle Bruton,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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After interviewing for multiple head coaching jobs this month, McDaniel agreed to join Jim Harbaugh with the Chargers, who finished their second straight 11-6 season under their veteran head coach with another playoff exit in the wild-card round.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This past fall, there were reports that the Justice Department was considering proposals to ban trans people from purchasing guns.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
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Morrell said that the city cannot ban data center developments permanently without a definition.—
Aliana Mediratta,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The return of his body closed a painful chapter for the country and cleared the way for the next and more challenging phase of the ceasefire, which calls for deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas, pulling back Israeli soldiers and rebuilding Gaza.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
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China had closed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic and only reopened them in earnest in early 2023.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But in a zero-sum world, where more money spent on incarceration means less money available for California’s growing network of trauma recovery centers, that’s a bad bargain.—
Kathy Brown-Lowe,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Another reason is that sectors of the US economy continue to rest on an implicit bargain between the government, employers, and migrants.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Close out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/close%20out. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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