close [1] (closes 3rd person present) (closing present participle) (closed past tense & past participle ) (SHUTTING OR COMPLETING)
Please look at category 12 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 verb When you close something such as a door or lid or when it closes, it moves so that a hole, gap, or opening is covered.
(=shut) (Antonym: open)
If you are cold, close the window... V n
Zacharias heard the door close... V
Keep the curtains closed. V-ed
2 verb When you close something such as an open book or umbrella, you move the different parts of it together.
Slowly he closed the book. V n
3 verb If you close something such as a computer file or window, you give the computer an instruction to remove it from the screen. (COMPUTING)
To close your document, press CTRL+W on your keyboard. V n
4 verb When you close your eyes or your eyes close , your eyelids move downwards, so that you can no longer see.
Bess closed her eyes and fell asleep... V n
When we sneeze, our eyes close. V
5 verb When a place closes or is closed, work or activity stops there for a short period.
(=shut) (Antonym: open)
Shops close only on Christmas Day and New Year's Day... V
It was Saturday; they could close the office early... V n
Government troops closed the airport... V n
The restaurant was closed for the night. V-ed
6 verb If a place such as a factory, shop, or school closes, or if it is closed, all work or activity stops there permanently.
Many enterprises will be forced to close... V
If they do close the local college I'll have to go to Worcester. V n
Close down means the same as close ., phrasal verb
Minford closed down the business and went into politics... V P n (not pron)
Many of the smaller stores have closed down. V P, Also V n P
closing n-sing
(=closure)
...since the closing of the steelworks in nearby Duquesne in 1984.
7 verb To close a road or border means to block it in order to prevent people from using it.
They were cut off from the West in 1948 when their government closed that border crossing. V n
8 verb To close a conversation, event, or matter means to bring it to an end or to complete it.
Judge Isabel Oliva said last night: `I have closed the case. There was no foul play.'... V n
The Prime Minister is said to now consider the matter closed. V-ed
...the closing ceremony of the National Political Conference. V-ing
9 verb If you close a bank account, you take all your money out of it and inform the bank that you will no longer be using the account. , (Antonym: open)
He had closed his account with the bank five years earlier. V n
10 verb On the stock market or the currency markets, if a share price or a currency closes at a particular value, that is its value at the end of the day's business. (BUSINESS, Antonym: open)
Dawson shares closed at 219p, up 5p... V prep/adv
The US dollar closed higher in Tokyo today. V adj-compar
11 n-sing Theclose of a period of time or an activity is the end of it. To bring or draw something to a close means to end it.
oft the N of n, to a N
(=end)
By the close of business last night, most of the big firms were hailing yesterday's actions as a success..., Brian's retirement brings to a close a glorious chapter in British football history...
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closed
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closing
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to close the door on something
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door
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to close your eyes to something
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eye
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to close ranks
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rank close down
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close 6 close off phrasal verb To close something off means to separate it from other things or people so that they cannot go there.
(=seal off)
Police closed off about 12 blocks of a major San Francisco thoroughfare for today's march... V P n (not pron) close up
1 phrasal verb If someone closes up a building, they shut it completely and securely, often because they are going away.
(=shut up, lock up)
Just close up the shop... V P n (not pron)
The summer house had been closed up all year. V-ed P
2 phrasal verb If an opening, gap, or something hollow closes up, or if you close it up, it becomes closed or covered.
Don't use cold water as it shocks the blood vessels into closing up. V P, Also V n P
