CLOSES Synonyms: 245 Similar and Opposite Words

closes 1 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of close

as in shuts

to position (something) so as to prevent passage through an opening be sure to close the gate when you leave

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Relevance

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as in closes (down)

to stop the operations of the merchant will close the store if business doesn't improve

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as in ends

to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point we'll close the assembly with the singing of our national anthem

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as in expires

to come to an end the services closed with a short prayer

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as in comes

to come near or nearer the two groups closed with each other from opposite sides of the field

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closes

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural of close

as in courtyards

an open space wholly or partly enclosed (as by buildings or walls) a garden in a close at the center of the complex

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closes

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural of close

as in halts

the stopping of a process or activity at the close of the evening

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as in endings

the last part of a process or action managed to conduct the negotiations to a satisfactory close

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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 closes

Verb

Too much dependence on one shipping lane means that when a corridor closes, there may be no fallback. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 More than 90 people will be laid off this winter when a snack manufacturing facility in Catawba County closes its doors. — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2026 It's expected to be debt-free after the deal closes and have positive free cash flow over the next two years, according to the company. — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 Dealers will be allowed to bring packing crates into the Grand Palais after the fair closes Friday, but no one will be permitted inside on Saturday, sources said. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Indeed, the man who once held his own against both Robin Williams and Steve Martin in an Off Broadway production of Waiting For Godot gets free reign to clown around here, especially in a lovely moment that closes the show. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026 The run includes three nights at Brooklyn Steel in New York, then closes back in Angine de Poitrine’s home country with two July dates at Toronto’s RBC Amphitheatre and Chicoutimi’s Zone Portuaire. — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026 The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Greer’s manner of death natural, caused by moyamoya disease, a rare condition that narrows or closes the carotid artery inside the skull. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2026 One reason the early childhood brain development window closes without intervention is that our diagnostic tools were not built to look through the mother-child nexus. — Holly Baines, STAT, 14 Oct. 2026

Noun

Whether China and the United States blunder into war before that window closes will be among the defining questions of the coming years. — Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026 Big for Club name Nvidia, which has posted back-to-back record closes. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026 How much of that reporting burden will reach portfolio companies remains unclear, but some of it likely will as PE sponsors seek standardized KPIs, faster financial closes, more granular operational metrics and clearer governance documentation. — Nate Heeren, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026 However, the action may not end at 11pm — deal sheets allow clubs to conclude signings two hours after the transfer window closes, provided the correct paperwork is submitted before the deadline. — Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026 The drive-in closes for the season after Labor Day and usually reopens on Memorial Day. — Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Plausibly, then, Chinese forecasters determined that the weather would not break before the current launch window to reach the lunar pole from Wenchang closes. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Aug. 2026 After the window to submit claims closes, payments will be issued by September, according to the settlement website. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for closes

Verb

Your middle schooler walks in, drops her backpack and shuts the bedroom door.

— Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026
There’s a brief pause, and then my phone goes haywire, inundated with Bluetooth signal spam — new Airpods connections, contact requests, an avalanche of popups that make my phone basically unusable until Hedge shuts it off.

— Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of shuts

Verb

The decision, for now, ends Grab’s first attempt to expand outside Southeast Asia.

— Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
The loss of Flyte and Coe (Tom Brooke) earlier in the season leaves the Horses a little worse for wear, but Slow Horses has one parting blow for our semi-competent hero, River (Jack Lowden), before the season ends.

— Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of ends

Verb

The timeline calls for the Royals to move to the new stadium a year before the team’s lease at Kauffman Stadium expires.

— Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Trump immediately signed an order for new 10 percent global tariffs for a limited time of 150 days that expires on July 24.

— Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of expires

Verb

The local chapter voted to endorse Raman last month, and with that comes teams of eager doorknockers canvassing for her across the city.

— Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
The collision comes months after Independence police tightened restrictions on high-speed pursuits after years of scrutiny over the department's driving practices.

— Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of comes

Noun

The Bangladeshi firm behind the project, Nakshabid Architects, was inspired by traditional Bengali homesteads, which are typically interspersed with courtyards and ponds.

— Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
The 190,000-square-foot Royal Poinciana Plaza, designed in 1957 by renowned architect John Volk in the heart of Palm Beach Island, features lush gardens, palm trees, fountains and two central courtyards.

— David Moin, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of courtyards

Noun

That was March 2020, when the CEOs of General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler tried to coordinate production halts over Covid-19 fears, only to be warned by their lawyers that doing so could violate antitrust rules.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026
The automatic stay halts proceedings but doesn't compel creditors to undo pre-petition filings without operative effect.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

Definition of halts

Noun

The main reason the Giants have a chance to win every week, though, despite all their injuries and heart-stopping endings, is that Jameis Winston is playing well as their starting quarterback.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
Dramatic — and sometimes controversial — endings were the story of a wild college football Saturday, with late-game calls deciding some outcomes and potentially having an effect on how the College Football Playoff shapes up a couple months from now.

— Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026