close-up
noun
a photograph taken at close range or with a long focal-length lens, on a relatively large scale.
close-up
American
[klohs-uhp]
/ ˈkloʊsˌʌp /
Or
closeup
noun
-
close-ups
plural
-
a photograph taken at close range or with a long focal-length lens, on a relatively large scale.
-
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.
-
an intimate view or presentation of anything.
adjective
-
of or resembling a close-up.
-
intimate or detailed; close-in.
close-up
British
/ ˈkləʊsˌʌp /
noun
-
a photograph or film or television shot taken at close range
-
a detailed or intimate view or examination
a close-up of modern society
verb
-
to shut entirely
-
(intr) to draw together
the ranks closed up
-
(intr) (of wounds) to heal completely
close up
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of close-up
An Americanism first recorded in 1910–15; noun use of adverbial phrase close up
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.
See Examples For:
Punter and holder Ethan Evans had a close-up view of the first part, but could not stop the second.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
The close-up image of the Moon's surface includes dark areas known as maria and bright areas known as the highlands.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
The close-up observations also helped researchers estimate the size and energy of the object that created McGetchin.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
One is left with the impression that this is the double perspective—both close-up, and global—that defined Church’s quest to discover nature’s beauty along with its fierce spectacle, whether at home or abroad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
I only want to see her once, close-up, thought Meggie.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
In December, executives acknowledged that high prices were driving away customers and announced plans to close up to 90 underperforming stores nationwide and a distribution center in Illinois.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Viewing an early medieval embroidery close up is quite something.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Global stocks aren’t nearly as buoyant, however, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 edging higher to close up 0.15% to start the week.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Earlier, the stock had been volatile, briefly falling below its debut price on the Nasdaq before recovering to close up 1%.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
From close up, in the dimness of the tent, he looked extremely frail.
From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien
May I suggest this video that includes several close-ups of El-Sayed’s bicep?
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
Ms. Proske, best known in New York as co-founder of the unorthodox Heartbeat Opera, directed the intimate scenes as tight close-ups, and her many eye-catching moments, whether stage-filling or small-scale, were always purposeful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Adlakha singles out the quiet close-ups of Anghlong Konyak, the first-time actor who plays the chief, and the "gentleness" with which Rio captures his "subdued rage".
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Littin-Menz, who also shoots “The Rivals of Amziah King” with a sun-dappled sense of naturalistic beauty and thoughtful close-ups.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Riefenstahl cleverly intercut long shots of the progress of the boats with close-ups of Bobby Moch and the other coxswains barking commands point-blank into the camera.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
