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:
Ernetti produced an image he believed was akin to the Christ he witnessed, which was soon debunked as a close-up photograph of a wooden sculpture.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 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
Their live feeds will provide continuous close-up views as the Moon gradually moves across the Sun, showing the different stages of the event.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
But then toward the climax, Einbinder has a powerful close-up that puts the film back in her pocket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Neither of them ever married, not least because of their close-up views of the matrimonial fates of their siblings.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Three weeks ago, more than 72,000 migrants poured into this tiny Spanish territory, overwhelming authorities and causing many residents to close up their shops and stay inside their homes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 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
"Seeing Jadon close up, technically, he's got an awful lot of ability," said current United interim head coach Michael Carrick when he was asked about Sancho in March.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Every evening at five o’clock the farmers and the fishermen would close up their stalls, pack their trucks, and go home.
From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
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
Anthropic and OpenAI will have their close-ups when they debut later, maybe in late summer or fall.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
“You have to understand camera composition, which shots are changed. Like you can’t have two close-ups back to back, you have to start with an establishing shot,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Yet Cameron’s extreme close-ups convey the intricate emotions of Eilish’s music in a way you can’t get sitting even just a few rows back from the stage.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 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
Definitions 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.
