CLOSENESS Synonyms: 191 Similar and Opposite Words

closeness

noun

Definition of closeness

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

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

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

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

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

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 Urban’s ex-wife, Nicole Kidman, was reportedly uneasy about their closeness at the time. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2026 Fans adored her, but their praise was no substitute for the closeness of intimates. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 Aware of the growing closeness between Caitlyn and her troubled patient, John keeps an indulgent but wary eye on them even as his suspicions about Matt’s role in the deaths grow. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026 Because of this closeness, many at CNN seem relieved that Thompson will stay aboard. — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 16 Oct. 2026 But over the past year, Collins' missteps, closeness to Trump, and a political environment shaped by affordability and the Iran war have left Democrats confident Ossoff will face minimal challenges in his reelection bid. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 Taurus April 20 – May 20 Your need for comfort may compete with someone else’s desire for greater closeness. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 29 Sep. 2026 The two friends and teammates have developed a closeness that their teammates have noticed. — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 When a father takes significant leave – meaning at least two weeks – children report experiencing more father-child closeness and better communication in the relationship up to nine years later. — Megan Kuykendoll, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for closeness

Noun

But the process was shrouded in secrecy because working with Nolan is an in-person process.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026
On the same day that Uthmeier petitioned to have the ads stopped, the Republican Party of Florida warned television station managers that the ad about Uthmeier could be violating a grand jury secrecy law.

— Justin Garcia, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of secrecy

Noun

Many African policymakers responded that advanced economies built their wealth on coal and oil, adding that Africa accounts for less than 4% of global carbon emissions.

— Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Consumers have generally soured on an economy weighed down by more expensive gas, groceries, and clothing, among other items.

— Christopher Rugaber, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of economy

Noun

Will those risks outweigh the benefits, especially with extremely low early-stage detection for prostate, breast, ovarian, skin, and inadequate evidence of accuracy for many other cancers?

— Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
In laboratory tests involving 14 healthy volunteers, participants identified individual odors with 73 percent accuracy and combinations with roughly 71 percent accuracy.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of accuracy

Noun

Letters could sustain relationships between people separated by oceans, and sometimes those relationships achieved an intimacy unavailable to people who occupied the same rooms.

— Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
That’s my own fear of intimacy, of getting involved in a community.

— Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of intimacy

Noun

The report’s conclusion speculates that keeping things private, even innocuous ones, signals secretiveness.

— Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
And, the school wasn’t messing around with the secretiveness of the open practice for those who either received a ticket or media members in attendance.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of secretiveness

Noun

Lakers scoring phenom Luka Doncic missed his first game of the young season with back tightness, leaving a giant hole in their offense with the NBA’s leading scorer (36 points per game) sitting out.

— Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Pelvic floor physical therapy may help when muscle tightness or pain is also involved.

— Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of tightness

Browse Nearby Words

closemouthed

closeness

close (off)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Closeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closeness. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of closeness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

reticent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes