close to

idiom

1
: almost or nearly
They spent close to half a million dollars on the project.
Our company employs close to a thousand workers.
I haven't seen her in close to a year.
2
British : from a short distance : close up
She's even more beautiful when seen close to.

Examples of close to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Falling drone debris in Russia’s Volgograd region sparked a fire in the Krasnoarmeysky district of the city, close to a Lukoil oil refinery, according to Gov. Andrei Bocharov, who provided no further details. Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2025 The point of maximum eclipse — 93% — will occur close to Akulivik, an Inuit village in Nunavik, northern Quebec, Canada, 1,150 miles (1,850 kilometers) north of Montreal. Jamie Carter, Space.com, 15 Mar. 2025 Furious parents who preferred a school close to home over one that educates its students protested when Levy-David tried to explain her plan. Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025 Get ready for the blame and outrage: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images As if economic turmoil and a high-stakes gamble in trying to end a war weren't enough, the federal government came pretty close to shutting down. Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for close to

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Close to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/close%20to. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!