close

1 of 5

verb

ˈklōz

closed; closing

Synonyms of close next

transitive verb

: to move so as to bar passage through something

Close the gate.

: to block against entry or passage

close a street

: to deny access to

The city closed the beach.

: to suspend or stop the operations of

close school

—often used with down

They closed down the factory.

: screen, exclude

close a view

: to bring to an end or period

close an account

closed his football career with an outstanding big bowl performance

Investigators closed the case after concluding that his death was accidental.

: to terminate access to (a computer file or program)

Remember to save the file before closing it.

: to conclude discussion or negotiation about

The question is closed.

also : to consummate (see consummate entry 2 sense 2) by performing something previously agreed

close a transfer of real estate title

: to bring or bind together the parts or edges of

a closed book

: to reduce to nil

closed the distance to the lead racer

: to fill up (something, such as an opening)

close the cracks with plaster of paris

: to make complete by circling or enveloping or by making continuous

close a circuit

archaic : enclose, contain

intransitive verb

: to contract, fold, swing, or slide so as to leave no opening

The door closed quietly.

: to cease operation

The factory closed down.

The stores close at 9 p.m.

: to come together : meet

The jaws of the vise closed.

: to draw the free foot up to the supporting foot in dancing

: to come to an end or period

The services closed with a short prayer.

: to enter into or complete an agreement

close on a deal

: to reduce a gap

closed to within two points

: to draw near

The ship was closing with the island.

: to engage in a struggle at close quarters : grapple

close with the enemy

closable adjective

or closeable

ˈklō-zə-bəl

2 of 5

adjective

ˈklōs

closer; closest

: being near in time, space, effect, or degree

at close range

close to my birthday

close to the speed of sound

: intimate, familiar

close friends

: strict, rigorous

keep close watch

: very precise and attentive to details

a close reading

a close study

: marked by fidelity to an original

a close copy of an old master

: terse, compact

… his exact, close, sober classical style …—

Edmund Wilson

: decided or won by a narrow margin

a close baseball game

: very short or near to the surface

a close haircut

: fitting tightly or exactly

a close fit

: confined or carefully guarded

close quarters

close arrest

: having little space between items or units

a close weave

a close grain

: hot and stuffy

a room with an uncomfortably close atmosphere

: difficult to obtain

Money is close.

: not generous in giving or spending : tight

… a close buyer and a good marketer.—

W. A. White

: having no openings : closed

: restricted to a privileged class

a close scholarship

: secluded, secret

: secretive

She could tell us something if she would …. But she was as close as wax.—

A. Conan Doyle

of a vowel : high sense 13

: formed with the tongue in a higher position than for the other vowel of a pair

Italian has a close and an open e.

of punctuation : characterized by liberal use especially of commas

closely adverb

closeness noun

3 of 5

adverb

ˈklōs

: in a close position or manner

Don't drive so close to the car in front of you.

Look close and tell me what you see.

They sat close together on the bench.

4 of 5

noun (1)

ˈklōz

: a coming or bringing to a conclusion

at the close of the party

: a conclusion or end in time or existence : cessation

The decade drew to a close.

: the concluding passage (as of a speech or play)

At the close of his speech, he thanked his supporters.

: the conclusion of a musical strain or period : cadence

Following the close of the symphony, the audience rose and applauded.

: the movement of the free foot in dancing toward or into contact with the supporting foot

archaic : a hostile encounter

5 of 5

noun (2)

ˈklōs

U.S. also

ˈklōz

chiefly British : the precinct (see precinct sense 2a) of a cathedral

: an enclosed area

chiefly British

: a road closed at one end

: a narrow passage leading from a street to a court and the houses within or to the common stairway of tenements

Phrases

close one's doors

: to refuse admission

The nation closed its doors to immigrants.

: to go out of business

The furniture store closed its doors last week.

close one's eyes to

: to ignore deliberately

Officials closed their eyes to allegations of child abuse at the day care center.

close ranks

: to unite in a concerted stand especially to meet a challenge

The family closed ranks to protect one of their own.

close the door

: to be uncompromisingly obstructive

closed the door to further negotiation

close to home

: within one's personal interests so that one is strongly affected

The speaker's remarks hit close to home.

close to the bone

: within a sensitive or personal area

The criticism cut close to the bone.

close to the vest

: in a reserved or cautious manner

She tends to keep her opinions close to the vest.

Choose the Right Synonym for close

Verb

close, end, conclude, finish, complete, terminate mean to bring or come to a stopping point or limit.

close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.

close a debate

end conveys a strong sense of finality.

ended his life

conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).

the service concluded with a blessing

finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.

after it is painted, the house will be finished

complete implies the removal of all deficiencies or a successful finishing of what has been undertaken.

the resolving of this last issue completes the agreement

terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space.

your employment terminates after three months

Adjective

stingy, close, niggardly, parsimonious, penurious, miserly mean being unwilling or showing unwillingness to share with others.

stingy implies a marked lack of generosity.

a stingy child, not given to sharing

close suggests keeping a tight grip on one's money and possessions.

folks who are very close when charity calls

niggardly implies giving or spending the very smallest amount possible.

the niggardly amount budgeted for the town library

parsimonious suggests a frugality so extreme as to lead to stinginess.

a parsimonious lifestyle notably lacking in luxuries

penurious implies niggardliness that gives an appearance of actual poverty.

the penurious eccentric bequeathed a fortune

miserly suggests a sordid avariciousness and a morbid pleasure in hoarding.

a miserly couple devoid of social conscience

Examples of close in a Sentence

Verb We had better close the windows; it looks like it's going to rain. I forgot to close the gate. She was having trouble closing the drawer. Close the lid on the box tightly. The door opened and closed so quietly that I didn't notice he had come in the room. The box's lid closed with a bang. Remember to close the box of cereal when you're done. Please close your books and put them under your desks. Close your eyes and go to sleep. I closed my fists and got ready to fight. Adjective We're not there yet, but we're getting close. We stood close together to stay warm. Christmas is getting closer and will soon be here. Their daughters are close in age. close in size and shape Adverb Don't drive so close to the car in front of you. He told me to stay close as we walked through the crowd. The time for a decision is drawing closer. My teammate came in third, and I finished close behind. They sat close together at the dinner table.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Ignazio: The Japanese close their eyes to concentrate. —

Billboard Italy, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024 After over four decades in business, 99 Cents Only Stores will close all its doors permanently. —

Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024 Earlier this year, the University of North Florida closed its Office of Diversity and Inclusion, including the women’s, interfaith, intercultural, and LGBTQ centers, to comply with restrictions, according to local news reports. —

Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024 The Heat closes with road games at Houston on Friday, at Indiana on Sunday, at Atlanta on Tuesday and then home to Dallas, before two home games against Toronto. —

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024 The location at 5610 Stockton Blvd., in Sacramento, will close its doors this year. —

Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024 Frisch's Big Boy closes 3 restaurants, cutting a third of locations in 9 years. —

The Enquirer, 4 Apr. 2024 Yes, Saks Fifth Avenue will close as part of the plan, according to the release. —

Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024 His neighbors in the Berkshires are alarmed by a series of stories that have run in local publications, and the town’s select board forces Chambers to close the Berkshire People’s Gym. —

David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024

Adjective

Former Cal cornerback Jeremiah Earby came up with an impressive pass breakup on the closest thing the Broncos saw to an interception all game. —

Ron Counts, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2024 Search online for fitness, barre, Pilates or gym + near me to identify the closest options, Luna says. —

Laura Daily, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024 The two became close friends, immediately hitting it off during Johnson’s rookie season in 1979-80. —

Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024 At any rate, consumers keeping a close eye on their fuel budgets can save money by shopping around first over the internet. —

The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024 Police were in close contact with the family, who were concerned and were collaborating with the MMIWG2ST Chapter of Lawrence, which stands for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, and Trans people. —

Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024 But the bullpen might be a little thin after last season’s trade of closer Paul Sewald to Arizona. —

Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024 Assad ultimately prevailed, mostly due to military assistance from Russia and Iran, Syria’s closest ally. —

Souad Mekhennet, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, the summer Olympics are getting closer Eau de Paris contributed the equivalent of more than $100,000 to cover the cost of the trays, aprons, coffee and croissants, according to the Guardian. —

Rachel Treisman, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024

Adverb

Rather than spacing themselves months apart as observed by Bell, zebras and wildebeest travelled closer together than expected. —

T. Michael Anderson, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2024 Blank Slate Family game nights have a special way of bringing everyone closer together. —

Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2024 In the film, a demolition worker realizes his sites are inching closer and closer to his Little Haiti neighborhood. —

Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024 The reports said that U.S. intelligence officers who had served in Kyiv in 2014 − as Ukraine and the U.S. moved closer together and Russia first began to seize territory in eastern Ukraine − appear to have been tracked and targeted in subsequent postings. —

Dan Morrison, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024 Planting things too close together, for instance, can promote bacterial and fungal growth. —

Kate Morgan, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024 This invulnerability to interdiction facilitates ties among Eurasia’s revisionists—just as the war in Ukraine pushes them closer together by making Russia more dependent on, and willing to cut deals with, its autocratic brethren. —

Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2024 Ruby and Hildebrandt initially became close around 2019 due to their similar lifestyle and parenting views, Kevin said in the police interview. —

Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 29 Mar. 2024 Now, the tax and gun cases are moving ahead as part of an unprecedented confluence of political and legal drama: As the November election draws closer, the Justice Department is actively prosecuting both the Democratic president’s son and the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump. —

Stefanie Dazio and Lindsay Whitehurst, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2024

Noun

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead at 9:16 of the first period when Lundell skated around a Montreal defender and scored from in close for his 10th goal of the season. —

Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024 American atomic bombs devastated the western city of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the south at the close of World War II, killing more than 200,000 people. —

Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024 And as the exhibition and her photographic journey comes to a close, Faustine wears a white dress and a straw hat, posing with her back facing the audience, in images taken at Shelter Island — where a plantation enslaved Africans and Native Americans from 1651 until 1820 — and Staten Island. —

Briana Ellis-Gibbs, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024 As Women’s History Month comes to a close, our fashion team had to compile the best storefronts owned by Black women. —

Essence, 29 Mar. 2024 Sandstorm Gold is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has declared the Company's second quarterly cash dividend for 2024 in the amount of C$0.02 per common share to shareholders of record as of the close of business on April 16, 2024. —

Dividend Channel, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024 Over a decade after the franchise came to a close, Stewart has not been shy about voicing her Twilight opinions. —

Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024 On the other, your pregnancy is coming to a close; the embryo inside you has stopped growing, your body has made an executive decision, and the lining of your womb, along with its recent inhabitant, is making its way out. —

Nell Frizzell, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2024 Investors under the lock-up deal cannot sell, lend, donate or encumber their shares for six months after the close of the deal. —

Stan Choe, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'close.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French clos-, stem of clore, from Latin claudere to shut, close; perhaps akin to Greek kleiein to close — more at clavicle

Adjective

Middle English clos, from Anglo-French, from Latin clausus, past participle of claudere — see close entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle English clos, literally, enclosure, from Anglo-French clos, from Latin clausum, from neuter of clausus, past participle

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 12

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler

The first known use of close was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing close

Cite this Entry

Style

“Close.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/close. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

1 of 5 verb

ˈklōz

closed; closing

: to move so as to prevent passage through something

close the gate

: to block against passage

close a street

: to stop the operations of

close school early

—often used with down

: to bring or come to an end or conclusion

close a deal

the meeting closed with a song

close the computer program

: to bring together the parts or edges of

a closed fist

close the book

: to draw near

the second-place runner was closing fast

: to engage in a struggle at close quarters

close with the enemy

closer noun

2 of 5 noun

ˈklōz

: the point at which something ends

3 of 5 noun

ˈklōs

: an enclosed area

4 of 5 adjective

ˈklōs

closer; closest

: having no openings : closed

: hidden from sight

: not open or frank : secretive

: rigorous sense 1

keep close watch

: hot and stuffy

: not generous : stingy

close with money

: having little space between items or units

flying in close formation

: fitting tightly or exactly

: very short or near the surface

a close haircut

: being near in time, space, effect, or degree

: having a strong liking each one for the other

a close friend

: very precise and attentive to details

close measurements

a close observer

: decided by a narrow margin

a close race

closely adverb

closeness noun

5 of 5 adverb

ˈklōs

: in a close position or manner

Legal Definition

1 of 2 verb

closed; closing

transitive verb

: to bring to an end or to a state of completion

closed the case

close an estate by liquidating its assets

closing his account

: to conclude discussion or negotiation about

also : to bring to completion by performing something previously agreed

closing a merger

close the property sale

intransitive verb

: to enter into or complete an agreement (as for the sale of real estate)

they closed on the house

: to come to an end or to a state of completion

after the class closes, the trust shall continue…until the death of the last surviving member of the class—

Louisiana Revised Statutes

2 of 2 noun

: an enclosed area

break another's close

Biographical Definition

biographical name

ˈklōz

commonly

ˈklōs

Chuck 1940– Charles Thomas Close American painter

Last Updated: 8 Apr 2024 - Updated example sentences

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close

verb

adjective

adverb

noun (1)

noun (2)

Synonyms

Examples of close in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near close

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Legal Definition

Biographical Definition

biographical name