1
as in to end
to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point
the team closed out the season with major losses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to exclude
to prevent the participation, consideration, or inclusion of
don't assume an attitude that closes out any possibility of a compromise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of close out
ABC News, 16 May 2026
The Dolphins close out the season with a seven-game stretch run that features six straight 2025 playoff teams (Broncos, Bears, Packers, Chargers, Bills and Patriots).
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane each scored 17 for Orlando, which is now 0-2 in closeout opportunities in this series.
—CBS News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for close out
Verb
Luca Langoni scored the go-ahead goal early in the second half and the New England Revolution held on for a 2-1 victory over Minnesota United on Saturday night to close out a four-match homestand.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
The Dolphins close out the season with a seven-game stretch run that features six straight 2025 playoff teams (Broncos, Bears, Packers, Chargers, Bills and Patriots).
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Noun
Jaden McDaniels was spectacular in every way in Minnesota’s closeout victory over Denver in Game 6 on Thursday night.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane each scored 17 for Orlando, which is now 0-2 in closeout opportunities in this series.
—CBS News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for close out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for close out
Verb
-
Detroit catcher Dylan Dinger’s throw wasn’t in time to get Bichette, but shortstop Zach Short threw home to get Benge, ending the inning with the game still tied.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
-
Seiya Suzuki, up for the second time with two on, struck out to end the eighth.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
15 May 2026
-
To meet their growth targets, banks hired increasing numbers of women, African Americans, Asian Americans, and white ethnics, all of whom had been excluded from or simply wary about pursuing careers in finance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Closer Devin Williams, who spent last season in the Bronx, shut the door on the Yankees (28-18) with his sixth save of the season.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
17 May 2026
-
Instead, the challenge is to better understand the postsecondary programs that consistently fail to achieve an economic benefit for students and either fix them or consider shutting them down.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Exclusions include clearance items and gift cards, and the discount is applied to the subtotal before tax and shipping/handling at checkout with the promo code.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
14 May 2026
-
During the quarter, the company opened a 160,000-square-foot store at The Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek, Ohio, bringing its total to 272 Dillard’s stores and clearance in 30 states.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Mark Teixeira homered from both sides of the plate and the New York Yankees finished a four-game sweep of Minnesota with a 7-6 victory.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
The council will vote for an interim mayor to finish the remainder of Lyles’ term, which ends in December 2027.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Three sitting rooms are complemented by a further three members’ social spaces for carousing in, concealed behind a subtle screen (here, DJs including Goldierocks make appearances, and mobile snaps are banned; staff politely place a sticker over mobile camera lenses).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
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Public libraries in 2025 navigated a year that saw the challenging, and banning of, thousands of books, stiffer budgetary limits and federal threats to funding.—
Adeel Hassan,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
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But his golf ball was close enough to a sprinkler cap that he was given free relief, dropped on the fringe and putted it to close range for a par.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
-
After Anaheim closed to within 3-1, Pavel Dorofeyev scored two third-period goals.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Gregory Lorenzi has spent the past 10 years at Brest, where his eye for a bargain helped to catapult the humble Breton club from mid-table mediocrity in Ligue 2 to a third-place finish in Ligue 1 and a fairytale Champions League campaign.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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Denmark's sustainability investments are supported by the country's high taxes, and Aarhus is by no means a bargain destination.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Close out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/close%20out. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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