1
as in ending
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 excluding
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
3
as in closing (down)
to stop the operations of
failing health forced the cardiologist to close out his practice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of closing out
Nicaragua was one pitch from closing out a 3-1 win, one pitch from dropping the Dutch to 0-2 in Pool D, one pitch from turning Sunday into a survival game.
—
Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
By way of comparison, the district on Tuesday also approved job reductions to protect the solvency of the district over the long term — closing out 657 central and regional office jobs — to achieve a savings of $150 million per year.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Shoppers unexpectedly paused their spending in December from November, closing out the holiday shopping season and the year on a lackluster tone.
—Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
That would be Southeast Division rival Atlanta, the very team the Hornets meet on Saturday at State Farm Arena before closing out their pre All-Star break schedule against the Hawks four days later in uptown at Spectrum Center.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
The department did not elaborate on what closing out that shots fire call entailed.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
Two nights later, WWE will follow up with Raw, before closing out the month with the Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
—Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
After closing out the year in Finland with boyfriend Scooter Braun, Sydney Sweeney is back in Hollywood for her first red carpet of 2026—and bringing major bombshell glamour, of course.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 10 Jan. 2026
Clemson will face off against the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday before closing out the 2025 season with matchups against Louisville, Furman and South Carolina.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
By way of comparison, the district on Tuesday also approved job reductions to protect the solvency of the district over the long term — closing out 657 central and regional office jobs — to achieve a savings of $150 million per year.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Shoppers unexpectedly paused their spending in December from November, closing out the holiday shopping season and the year on a lackluster tone.
—Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
That would be Southeast Division rival Atlanta, the very team the Hornets meet on Saturday at State Farm Arena before closing out their pre All-Star break schedule against the Hawks four days later in uptown at Spectrum Center.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
The department did not elaborate on what closing out that shots fire call entailed.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
Two nights later, WWE will follow up with Raw, before closing out the month with the Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
—Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
After closing out the year in Finland with boyfriend Scooter Braun, Sydney Sweeney is back in Hollywood for her first red carpet of 2026—and bringing major bombshell glamour, of course.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 10 Jan. 2026
Clemson will face off against the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday before closing out the 2025 season with matchups against Louisville, Furman and South Carolina.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closing out
Verb
-
Talarico’s victory marks a preliminary triumph for Democrats who argued that the path to ending the party’s 32-year statewide losing streak runs through coalition-building.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
-
With Monday evening performances canceled and piles of snow keeping pedestrians and drivers at bay, total grosses fell to $26,036,589 for the week ending March 1, down from $32M the previous week.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Zillow’s affordability target price is based on house payments — excluding taxes and insurance and assuming a 20% down payment — that equal 30% of the local median income.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Pet owners can protect their pets by excluding cleaning products that contain harmful chemicals.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The trio that was set to make the podium ended up finishing in ninth, 12th and 13th place.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
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Even so, Grimaldi recommends finishing your last meal or snack about three hours before bed and aiming for an overnight fasting window of 13 to 16 hours.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Health,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The court ruled Thursday that the state law banning Section 8 discrimination violates the Fourth Amendment.—
Tim McNicholas,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Policies requiring freshmen to live in dorms or banning children from campus can make going to college as a parent incredibly difficult and, at times, impossible.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After a nearby hospital is hacked and ransomed, the higher-ups decide to defend its system by shutting it down, which means business must be conducted in the old-fashioned, paper-and-clipboards way.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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In China, some refineries were shutting or bringing maintenance plans forward.—
Reuters
Wire Service,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Newsom is winding up eight years as governor with a mixed record at best.—
Tom Philp,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The water is naturally filtered in the wetlands before winding up back in the reservoirs.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Oil storage tanks are filling up across the region, analysts say, since exports have all but stopped due to the Iranians effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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The White Bicycle Plan, created by the countercultural Provo movement in 1960s Amsterdam, proposed closing the city center to cars as part of an effort to curb pollution and improve people’s experience of public space.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The unusually blunt readout underscores what could be a long enmity between the region and Tehran, with Arab Gulf states concluding that Iran’s drones, missiles, and proxies — essentially the regime itself — pose a regional threat.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Brooks then moved over to Bold in 2013 to play the strong-willed playboy Wyatt Spencer, earning another Emmy nod in 2021 and concluding his run in 2024.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closing%20out. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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