<p><strong>Verb (used with object):</strong></p><ul><li>to put (something) in a position to obstruct an entrance, opening, etc.; shut: Close the door, it's freezing in here.</li><li>to stop or obstruct (a gap, entrance, aperture, etc.): If you close that hole in the foundation, you're less likely to get critters in the basement.</li><li>Synonyms: choke, clog, bar.</li><li>to block or hinder passage across or access to: Because people were littering, the Parks and Recreation department decided to close the woods to picnickers.</li><li>to stop or obstruct the entrances, apertures, or gaps in: He closed the crate to prevent anything falling out and tied it up.</li><li>to make (one's mind) unreceptive or inaccessible to: Don't close your mind to an opinion just because you don't like the person who expressed it.</li><li>to bring together the parts of; join; unite (often followed by up): Close up those ranks! The surgeon closed the incision.</li><li>Electricity: to complete (an electrical circuit) by joining the circuit elements: The circuit was closed so the current could be measured.</li><li>to bring to an end: The chair then closed the debate and announced that the decision would be given in writing.</li><li>Synonyms: finish, terminate, conclude, end, complete.</li><li>to arrange the final details of; to conclude negotiations about; complete or settle: Your sales team also needs to understand their audience properly to be able to close a deal to everyone's satisfaction.</li><li>We close the sale of the house next week.</li><li>to stop rendering the customary services of: We close the store at 7 on weeknights.</li><li>to terminate or suspend the operation of; to halt the activities of: The police closed the bar for selling liquor to minors.</li><li>The epidemic forced authorities to close the schools.</li><li>Nautical: to come near to: We closed the cruiser to put our injured captain on board.</li><li>Metalworking: to reduce the internal diameter of (a tube or the like).</li><li>Archaic: to shut in or surround on all sides; enclose; cover in: to close a bird in a cage.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb (used without object):</strong></p><ul><li>to become closed; shut: This window is stuck and will not close tight.</li><li>The door closed with a bang.</li><li>to come together; unite: Her lips closed firmly.</li><li>to come near: His pursuers closed rapidly.</li><li>to grapple; engage in close encounter (often followed by with): We closed with the invaders shortly before sundown.</li><li>to come to an end; terminate: The service closed with a hymn.</li><li>to cease to offer the customary activities or services: The school closed for the summer.</li><li>Synonyms: suspend, stop.</li><li>to complete or reach an agreement, usually as a contract: The builder closed with the contractor after negotiations.</li><li>They're closing on the lease for the office now, but we won't be ready to move for a few weeks.</li><li>(of a theatrical production) to cease to be performed: The play closed in New York yesterday and will open in Dallas next week.</li><li>(of a stock, group of stocks, etc.) to be priced or show a change in price as specified at the end of a trading period: The market closed low for the fourth straight day.</li></ul><p><strong>Adjective:</strong></p><ul><li>having the parts or elements near to one another: The close formation of battleships made it impossible to pass.</li><li>compact; dense: The bread's crumb has a close texture.</li><li>Synonyms: solid, firm.</li><li>being in or having proximity in space or time: The barn is so close to the house that I can hear the animals from my bedroom.</li><li>His birthday is in May, close to mine.</li><li>Synonyms: nearby, proximate, immediate.</li><li>marked by similarity in degree, action, feeling, etc.: This dark pink is close to red.</li><li>He left her close to tears.</li><li>near in kind or relationship: You should get screened regularly for breast cancer, especially if a close relative, such as a parent or sibling, has had it.</li><li>emotionally intimate or strongly united; dear: It's a rare blessing to have such a close circle of friends.</li><li>My sister and I have always been very close—I tell her everything.</li><li>fitting tightly: She wore a close, clingy top paired with loose, flowing pants.</li><li>(of a haircut or shave, the mowing of a lawn, etc.) so executed that the hair, grass, etc., is left flush with the surface or very short: The mower delivers a smooth, close cut to leave your lawn looking great every time.</li><li>strict; searching; minute: The matter requires close investigation.</li><li>Synonyms: concentrated, intent.</li><li>not deviating from a subject, a model, an original, etc.: The first volume is a close, literal translation, but the second volume strays farther from the source text.</li><li>Synonyms: faithful, accurate, exacting.</li><li>nearly even or equal: It was a close contest, with both teams scoring goal after goal, but we won in the end.</li><li>strictly logical: The book is remarkable for its close reasoning and excellent use of academic sources.</li><li>shut; shut tight; not open: A close hatch is needed to keep the water out.</li><li>shut in; enclosed: I thought all the sheep were close, but my sister just saw one of the ewes on the hillside.</li><li>completely enclosing or surrounding: It was a close siege, preventing all escape.</li><li>without opening; with all openings covered or closed: For winter storage, make sure the entire boat is as close as it can possibly be.</li><li>confined; narrow: close quarters.</li><li>lacking fresh or freely circulating air: a hot, close room.</li><li>heavy; oppressive: a spell of close, sultry weather.</li><li>Synonyms: humid, sultry, muggy.</li><li>practicing or keeping secrecy; secretive; reticent: She is so close that you can tell her all your secrets.</li><li>Synonyms: reserved, uncommunicative, taciturn.</li><li>parsimonious; stingy: He is very close with his money.</li><li>Synonyms: mean, tight, miserly, penurious.</li><li>scarce, as money: Our funds are much too close right now to think about buying another car.</li><li>not open to public or general admission, competition, etc.: The entire parish participated in the close communication.</li><li>(of a delimiting punctuation mark) occurring at the end of a group of words or characters that is set off, as from surrounding text: close quotes; Compare open (def 32).</li><li>close parentheses; close quotes; close brackets.</li><li>Nautical: closed (def 8).</li><li>Phonetics: (of a vowel) articulated with a relatively small opening between the tongue and the roof of the mouth. Compare high (def 23), open (def 35a).</li><li>Heraldry: (of a bird) represented as having folded wings: an eagle close.</li><li>Archaic: viscous; not volatile.</li></ul><p><strong>Adverb:</strong></p><ul><li>in a close manner; closely.</li><li>near; close by.</li><li>Heraldry: immediately behind the ears, so as to show no neck: a bear's head coupé close.</li></ul><p><strong>Noun:</strong></p><ul><li>the act or fact of closing; the end or conclusion: He seemed distracted during the close of the speech, and ran off the stage as soon as it was finished.</li><li>At the close of day, we like to wind down with a cup of tea and a book.</li><li>complimentary close (def).</li><li>Music: cadence (def 7).</li><li>Stock Exchange: the closing price on a stock; the closing prices on an exchange market.</li><li>Chiefly British: an enclosed place or enclosure, especially one beside or surrounding a cathedral or other building.</li><li>Chiefly British: a short street terminating in a dead end; cul-de-sac.</li><li>Chiefly Scot: an entry or passage, especially one between the street and the back entry of a building, to a common stairway, or to outbuildings, etc.</li><li>Archaic: a junction; union.</li><li>Obsolete: a close encounter; a grapple: The fighters met in a fierce close.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb Phrase:</strong></p><ul><li>to approach so as to capture, attack, arrest, etc.: The hoodlums closed in on their victim.</li><li>to surround or envelop so as to entrap: a feeling that the room was closing in upon her.</li><li>to terminate the operation of; discontinue: to close down an air base because of budget cuts.</li><li>to attempt to control or eliminate: The city must close down drug traffic.</li><li>to come together in close array; converge: The enemy was closing up on us from both flanks.</li><li>to bring to an end; cease: The company is closing up its overseas operations.</li><li>to become silent or uncommunicative: I thought we were getting along, but she closed up all of a sudden and I don't know what's wrong.</li><li>Printing: to reduce or eliminate spacing material between (units of set type).</li><li>to reduce the price of (merchandise) for quick sale: That store is closing out its stock of men's clothing.</li><li>to liquidate or dispose of finally and completely: They closed out their interests after many years in this city.</li></ul>