close-up

or close·up

[ klohs-uhp ]

noun

1. a photograph taken at close range or with a long focal-length lens, on a relatively large scale.
2. Also called close shot. Movies, Television. a camera shot taken at a very short distance from the subject, to permit a close and detailed view of an object or action. Compare long shot ( def 3 ), medium shot.
3. an intimate view or presentation of anything.

adjective

1. of or resembling a close-up.
2. intimate or detailed; close-in.

close-up

/ ˈkləʊsˌʌp /

noun

1. a photograph or film or television shot taken at close range
2. a detailed or intimate view or examination

   a close-up of modern society

verb

1. to shut entirely
2. intr to draw together

   the ranks closed up

3. intr (of wounds) to heal completely

Word History and Origins

Origin of close-up¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1910–15; noun use of adverbial phrase close up

Idioms and Phrases

Also, close up shop . Stop doing business, temporarily or permanently; also, stop working. For example, The bank is closing up all its overseas branches , or That's enough work for one day—I'm closing up shop and going home . [Late 1500s]

Example Sentences

That close-up of Bono is startling to behold.

From Los Angeles Times

But there were a few animators on our team who were really good at facial animation, and we gave them the most emotional scenes, the close-up scenes.

From BBC

We got our first close-up look at it in 1986, when Voyager 2 flew past and sent back sensational pictures of the planet and its five major moons.

From BBC

Rams coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matthew Stafford and Rams receivers will get a close-up look at Ramsey on Monday night when the Rams play the Dolphins at SoFi Stadium.

From Los Angeles Times

As his questioning crosses taboos and boundaries, raising Sister Barnes’ hackles, cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung’s camera, which has been cutting between various degrees of close-up as the conversation progresses, breaks free from stasis.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cut off
• gag
• muffle
• mute
• muzzle
• quash
• quell
• squelch
• stifle
• subdue
• suppress