1
as in coming up
to come near or nearer
the eagle closed in on its prey
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in darkening
to grow dark
with evening closing in we knew we had to find shelter fairly soon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 closing in
DeRozan is closing in on Dominique Wilkins (26,668) and Oscar Robertson (26,710) with eight games remaining in the season.
—
Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
The Nasdaq extended losses after closing in correction territory Thursday.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
This problem isn’t isolated to Rolla – child care providers are closing in other rural areas.
—Beth Kania-Gosche, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
Vanderbilt leads by five and is slowly closing in on its first NCAA Tournament win in 14 years.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Now, the program is closing in on UIL history.
—Myah Taylor, Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026
As the Mideast conflict involving Iran and the United States continues, the average gas price across the state has rushed past $3 a gallon, and is closing in on $4.
—Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
Anthropic’s Claude has taken off in the enterprise while OpenAI’s ChatGPT has hit big with the masses, closing in on a billion users.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 13 Feb. 2026
After going two sets up, Alcaraz was closing in on the final before pulling up midway through the third set with what looked like muscle cramps.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
The Nasdaq extended losses after closing in correction territory Thursday.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
This problem isn’t isolated to Rolla – child care providers are closing in other rural areas.
—Beth Kania-Gosche, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
Vanderbilt leads by five and is slowly closing in on its first NCAA Tournament win in 14 years.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Now, the program is closing in on UIL history.
—Myah Taylor, Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026
As the Mideast conflict involving Iran and the United States continues, the average gas price across the state has rushed past $3 a gallon, and is closing in on $4.
—Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
Anthropic’s Claude has taken off in the enterprise while OpenAI’s ChatGPT has hit big with the masses, closing in on a billion users.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 13 Feb. 2026
After going two sets up, Alcaraz was closing in on the final before pulling up midway through the third set with what looked like muscle cramps.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closing in
Verb
-
The Johnnies have gone further every year under Pitino, from missing the Big Dance in 2024, to losing in the second round last year, to coming up just short on Friday night.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
That’s a tough combination to trade if the Marlins want to compete coming up.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Two things persuaded Haagy to shelve his own plant research and zero in on the mystery of sky-darkening smog.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Oh, and the grief was almost a person of its own, darkening the minds of some of the characters as much as any lightless corridor could darken a space.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The ceremony itself will spotlight the shows, characters and performances that resonated most strongly with audiences over the past year, drawing on fan stories from around the world and footage from the format’s standout titles.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
-
And while the all-volunteer force has produced the finest military in the world, democracies have historically fielded stronger armies by drawing on the full diversity of talent, perspectives, and experiences of their citizens.—
Zach Iscol,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ryan Gosling headlines Miller and Phil Lord’s film adaption of Andy Weir’s 2021 book of the same name, which centers on a school teacher turned astronaut tasked with stopping a mysterious entity from blacking out the sun.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Any new rules and regulations proposed by the FCC that restrict leagues from paywalling, locally blacking out or spreading live sports content across numerous channels and apps could be challenged in court.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
With a game-closing 15-0 run, the Timberwolves came back from 13 points down for a 110-108 victory over the Rockets.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In Carroll County, the superintendent regularly recommends closing Outdoor School as a way of offsetting rising costs related to the Blueprint.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
My friend Thai, whose parents were part of the Weather Underground leadership, remembers his father, Jeff Jones, coming home one day to find their family’s Hoboken apartment surrounded by cops—a fire inspector had spotted his tiny crop of marijuana plants on the fire escape.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
For now, channel the ambition, trust the momentum, and know that the slower, more nourishing chapter is coming.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The strike was the latest on a health care facility in the Sudan war, which is approaching its third anniversary next month.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Storms are expected to develop along an approaching cold front during the evening hours, when atmospheric instability and wind shear increase.—
Vytas Reid,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Once called ''the funniest woman on TV,'' Catherine O'Hara spends much of her time these days bellying up against a snooker table at the Squeeze Club, a Toronto juice bar and pool hall.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Across the river, Le Crocodile at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn brings a stylish, approachable scene for bellying up and indulging in sexy French cuisine.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closing in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closing%20in. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
