1
as in secrecy
the practice or habit of keeping secrets or keeping one's affairs secret
we tried to penetrate her strange closeness about her domestic life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in economy
the quality or practice of being overly sparing with money
rebelled against his parents' closeness with his allowance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in accuracy
the quality or state of being very accurate
the body was too decomposed to estimate the time of death with any great closeness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in intimacy
the state of being in a very personal or private relationship
the closeness of their relationship was a matter of intense speculation among their coworkers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in proximity
the state or condition of being near
we were surprised by the closeness of everything to our downtown loft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in carefulness
strict attentiveness to what one is doing
how much you get out of the sermon will depend on the closeness with which you listen to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of closeness
As people increasingly turn to AI chatbots for emotional support and life advice, recent incidents have put a spotlight on their potential to feed into delusions and facilitate a false sense of closeness or care.
—
Angela Yang, NBC news, 17 Sep. 2025
The researchers found that individuals with higher attachment anxiety, that is people who crave closeness but fear abandonment, reported stronger parasocial relationships with their favorite TV characters.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
In contrast to Redford, Inside Daisy Clover was Wood’s 38th film, but the pair found closeness on set.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
Getty Images As with humans, physical closeness in dogs often reflects emotional closeness.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Your performance results will depend on your hardware configuration, but the closeness of these results demonstrates that speed isn't a major differentiator.
—PC Magazine, 11 Sep. 2025
Their time together gives way to a quiet closeness, shifting a relationship neither of them saw coming.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
The final yardage count (318 for UM, 314 for Notre Dame) reflected the closeness of the game.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Angela Yang, NBC news, 17 Sep. 2025
The researchers found that individuals with higher attachment anxiety, that is people who crave closeness but fear abandonment, reported stronger parasocial relationships with their favorite TV characters.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
In contrast to Redford, Inside Daisy Clover was Wood’s 38th film, but the pair found closeness on set.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
Getty Images As with humans, physical closeness in dogs often reflects emotional closeness.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Your performance results will depend on your hardware configuration, but the closeness of these results demonstrates that speed isn't a major differentiator.
—PC Magazine, 11 Sep. 2025
Their time together gives way to a quiet closeness, shifting a relationship neither of them saw coming.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
The final yardage count (318 for UM, 314 for Notre Dame) reflected the closeness of the game.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeness
Noun
-
Most owners err on the side of secrecy.—
Lien De Pau,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The Chinese government has placed a premium on the secrecy of its top military programs.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There’s already evidence that is happening, especially as the reaction to the tariffs has finally started to filter into the greater economy.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
-
In other words, simply the continuation of the current environment – a steady economy, flexibly supportive policy and tireless aggression among the builders of AI infrastructure – could be enough for a while.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The W4100i is also factory calibrated for color accuracy, achieving a Delta E figure of less than 2.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The new equations provide a strict limit on the accuracy of a clock based on classical physics.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That is where creativity lives, where intimacy is built, and where leaders are made.—
Curt Steinhorst,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Ozyilmaz believes that shareable dining at restaurants, when done right, can foster more intimacy with our companions.—
Maggie Hennessy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
In some parts of the continent, such as eastern France, the species still live in proximity to one another.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Vinopure Acne Serum features salicylic acid derived from wintergreen leaves and antioxidant-rich palmitoyl grapeseed extract sourced from the brand’s vineyards in the South of France, which together leave skin clearer and smoother, without tightness or flakiness.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
That collective tightness, honed on their summer European run, was the impetus to get the crowd moving, and often surfing, through the venue.—
Daniel Kohn,
Rolling Stone,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The fighter jets will enhance the Peruvian air force's ability to conduct precision air-to-ground attack operations in support of ground forces in counternarcotics and counterterrorism operations, the DSCA said.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Femininity and strength, precision and imperfection.—
Blue Carreon,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The poll also surveyed Americans on their familiarity with Kirk.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
However, given his sudden jump in the rock and even heavy metal spaces, with his dazzling performance at Back to the Beginning, the lack of familiarity with Yungblud prior to these recent events could be why some think he’s being forcibly touted as the next big rock icon.—
Quentin Thane Singer,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Closeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeness. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share