1
: near a center of activity and especially a city
close-in suburbs
2
: occurring or designed for use within a narrowly limited area
close-in fighting
close-in weapons
closed in; closing in; closes in
1
: to encircle closely and isolate
2
: to enshroud to such an extent as to preclude entrance or exit
the airport was closed in by the storm
1
: to gather in close all around with an oppressing or isolating effect
despair closed in on her
2
: to approach to close quarters especially for an attack, raid, or arrest
the police closed in
3
: to grow dark
the short November day was already closing in—
Ellen Glasgow
Ellen GlasgowSynonyms
Examples of close-in in a Sentence
Verb
the eagle closed in on its prey
with evening closing in we knew we had to find shelter fairly soon
Recent Examples on the Web
Jen Chaney, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
The surprise came in the Midwest and Sunbelt, which saw a massive jump in exclusive zip codes — found in their urban centers, close-in suburbs, and fringe exurbs — in just a few years.
—Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 18 Oct. 2024
Golden Eagle - Heavy Strike The purpose of the Golden Eagle HS is to provide close-in air support to ground forces in rough country or urban areas.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2024
Golden Gate Canyon State Park: Located near Golden, the park’s 12,000-acre mountain, meadow and forest is a great choice for a close-in high-country hike.
—Margaret Jackson, The Denver Post, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for close-in 
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.
Adjective
Again and again, Kornacki has shown us rural areas bathed in red on his map and urban or close-in suburbs that are firmly blue.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
The surprise came in the Midwest and Sunbelt, which saw a massive jump in exclusive zip codes — found in their urban centers, close-in suburbs, and fringe exurbs — in just a few years.
—Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 18 Oct. 2024
Golden Eagle - Heavy Strike The purpose of the Golden Eagle HS is to provide close-in air support to ground forces in rough country or urban areas.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2024
Golden Gate Canyon State Park: Located near Golden, the park’s 12,000-acre mountain, meadow and forest is a great choice for a close-in high-country hike.
—Margaret Jackson, The Denver Post, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for close-in
Dictionary Entries Near close-in
Cite this Entry
“Close-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/close-in. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
close in
verb
: to gather in close all around with an oppressing effect
despair closed in on her
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share