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Synonyms

close-in

American  
[klohs-in] / ˈkloʊsˌɪn /

adjective

  1. near, as to a common center; adjacent, especially to a city.

    The city is enveloping its close-in suburbs.

  2. occurring or provided at close quarters.

    Fighter planes provided daring close-in air support.


close in British  
/ kləʊz /

verb

  1. (of days) to become shorter with the approach of winter

  2. to advance (on) so as to encircle or surround

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

close in Idioms  
  1. Surround, enclose, envelop, as in The fog closed in and we couldn't see two yards in front of us , or She felt the room was closing in . [c. 1400]

  2. Also, . Draw in, approach, as in The police closed in on the suspect . [Early 1800s]


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This suggests that many of these close-in planets may have already been destroyed.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

“As always we expect a conservative initial view from Carnival with close-in demand and onboard spending being swing factors on how the quarter unfolds,” he added.

From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025

But downtown and close-in neighborhoods that thrived before the pandemic are stagnating.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 23, 2024

During a flurry with about 7:30 left in the period, Kuemper came up with several tough saves, including one on a close-in shot by Lukas Reichel.

From Washington Times • Dec. 10, 2023

Then she found Myers Park, a prosperous, close-in community of 8,700 where most of the houses are more than sixty years old and ten minutes from downtown.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times