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Synonyms

close-up

American  
[klohs-uhp] / ˈkloʊsˌʌp /
Or closeup

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.

  3. an intimate view or presentation of anything.

adjective

  1. of or resembling a close-up.

  2. intimate or detailed; close-in.

close-up British  
/ 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
"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

verb

  1. to shut entirely

  2. (intr) to draw together

    the ranks closed up

  3. (intr) (of wounds) to heal completely

"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 up Idioms  

  1. 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]

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.

Video footage posted by the nonprofit shows a close-up of the cracked shell in the nest as winds blow and an eagle stands guard.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Head coach Thomas Tuchel named a split 35-man squad for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan to get a close-up look at his wider England options.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Snider, 41, is more than ready for his close-up.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

But interspersed throughout A House of Dynamite are small moments that remind us of the stakes: a close-up on a character’s wedding ring, bustling D.C. streets, children playing.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

There is a picture of Mr. Purdy standing in front of the Esther P. Marinoff and a small close-up of a boy.

From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko

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.