definitions

close-in

[ klohs-in ]
/ ˈkloʊsˌɪn /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR close-in ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

near, as to a common center; adjacent, especially to a city: The city is enveloping its close-in suburbs.
occurring or provided at close quarters: Fighter planes provided daring close-in air support.

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RELATED WORDS

reach, surround, near, contact, threaten, meet, come, match, inundate, besiege, envelop, ring, circle, materialize, hit, appear, get, move, enter, show

Nearby words

close-cropped, close-fisted, close-fitting, close-grained, close-hauled, close-in, close-knit, close-lipped, close-order drill, close-reefed, close-stool
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for close in

close in

/ (kləʊz) /

verb (intr, adverb)

(of days) to become shorter with the approach of winter
(foll by on or upon) 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

Idioms and Phrases with close in

close in

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, close in on or upon. Draw in, approach, as in The police closed in on the suspect. [Early 1800s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.