as in to guard
to disallow entry into (a place) by means of a physical barrier at the entry point
museum officials closed off the west wing after the fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for close (off)
guard
Verb
-
Even guard NaVorro Bowman, who scored 25 points, is using his strength to draw fouls and head to the free-throw line.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026 -
Another veteran forward option that sounds decent on paper, between his ball-handling and play-making chops, his IQ and his reputation for being able to guard every frontcourt position.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Close (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/close%20%28off%29. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
