COME CLOSE

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does come close mean? 

• COME CLOSE (verb)
  The verb COME CLOSE has 2 senses:

1. nearly do something

2. be close or similar

  Familiarity information: COME CLOSE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COME CLOSE (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Nearly do something

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

She came close to quitting her job

Hypernyms (to "come close" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be close or similar

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

approximate; come close

Context example:

Her results approximate my own

Hypernyms (to "come close" is one way to...):

resemble (appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "come close"):

approach; border on (come near or verge on, resemble, come nearer in quality, or character)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

"The joys come close upon the sorrows this time, and I rather think the changes have begun," said Mrs. March.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

If, however, we have not his leave, I shall come close at the heels of this message without his leave, and bearing a key with me which shall open all that he may close.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

When we had come close to the tomb I looked well at Arthur, for I feared that the proximity to a place laden with so sorrowful a memory would upset him; but he bore himself well.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Many have looked for the remains of the mythical locale, but nobody has come close to actually finding it and researchers claiming to have found it in the past have all ultimately been proven wrong.

(Researchers Claim to Have Found Mythical City of Atlantis in Spain, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)