1
as in ending
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 excluding
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
3
as in closing (down)
to stop the operations of
failing health forced the cardiologist to close out his practice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of closing out
On this recent and unseasonably warm afternoon, Ronnie, 15, was tasked with closing out an hourlong lecture on free people of color in the Revolutionary War.
—
Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
His last-minute, mixmaster approach to closing out the transit negotiations irritated several participants, but the end result was a fiscally responsible and transformative restructuring of mass transit in northern Illinois.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
By 2025, the former New York Yankee earned a spot in the starting rotation but struggled with consistency and closing out hitters.
—Annie Heilbrunn, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
The lineup sparked immediate buzz across social media, with the group headlining opening night alongside Jaÿ-Z—a full-circle moment tracing back to their MTV Unplugged collaboration nearly 25 years ago—with Erykah Badu closing out the second night.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Update on Bud Wells After closing out decades of service publishing this weekly report, Bud still reviews cars on his own website and has a newsletter to report those out.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
The week is closing out soon, so don't leave without scoring a great deal.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 19 Mar. 2026
These teams split winning on each other’s home court with Vanderbilt closing out the regular season beating Tennessee last week.
—ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026
Nicaragua was one pitch from closing out a 3-1 win, one pitch from dropping the Dutch to 0-2 in Pool D, one pitch from turning Sunday into a survival game.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
His last-minute, mixmaster approach to closing out the transit negotiations irritated several participants, but the end result was a fiscally responsible and transformative restructuring of mass transit in northern Illinois.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
By 2025, the former New York Yankee earned a spot in the starting rotation but struggled with consistency and closing out hitters.
—Annie Heilbrunn, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
The lineup sparked immediate buzz across social media, with the group headlining opening night alongside Jaÿ-Z—a full-circle moment tracing back to their MTV Unplugged collaboration nearly 25 years ago—with Erykah Badu closing out the second night.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Update on Bud Wells After closing out decades of service publishing this weekly report, Bud still reviews cars on his own website and has a newsletter to report those out.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
The week is closing out soon, so don't leave without scoring a great deal.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 19 Mar. 2026
These teams split winning on each other’s home court with Vanderbilt closing out the regular season beating Tennessee last week.
—ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026
Nicaragua was one pitch from closing out a 3-1 win, one pitch from dropping the Dutch to 0-2 in Pool D, one pitch from turning Sunday into a survival game.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for closing out
Verb
-
The Nats then went to the bullpen, ending his night at eight runs (four earned) on five hits over 4 2/3 innings.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But it was retrieved and Oaks Christian’s runner was tagged out at the plate trying to score, ending the game.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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FilmNation Entertainment has acquired worldwide rights, excluding German-speaking territories and Poland, to the film.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Rivera, Perera and others — excluding Nuhfer — flew to Caracas in Gorrín’s private jet from South Florida.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After finishing his Army service in Israel at age 21 — which included a stint as a projectionist when movies were shown to soldiers — Firstenberg decided to go to Hollywood.—
Stephen Silver,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Jon and Matt Stinchcomb, Parkview – One or the other started for Parkview each season from 1991 to 1997, each finishing as a first-team all-state player.—
Todd Holcomb,
AJC.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Jaisimha said Colorado’s provisions banning AI companies from claiming specific expertise, for example, would be more robust than what other states have passed, along with the reporting requirements for AI companies in the bill.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Now, by neither embracing that bedlam nor banning it outright, the action gets stuck in limbo.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Chernobyl disaster occurred when technicians at the power station, near Pripyat in the north of Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, ran a test on reactor number four to simulate shutting it down during an electricity blackout.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
26 Apr. 2026
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In addition to depriving the government, the scam also hurt small businesses that needed access to government funds to avoid shutting their doors and laying off employees at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, DHS said.—
Preston Mizell , Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This new round of chaos only feeds the anxiety that has enveloped the California Democratic Party for months, stirred by fears that the lack of a singular party front-runner might lead to two Republicans winding up on the November ballot.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Newsom is winding up eight years as governor with a mixed record at best.—
Tom Philp,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The news from Bristol comes just over a week after Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam announced a similar pending letter of intent, with the aim of closing a deal to be acquired by UConn by October.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
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Orlando’s annual Corporate 5K race returns to Lake Eola Park on Thursday, closing several roads in the city’s downtown.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Albanese noted that despite concluding that risks to Australian Jews were rising, the report found that no urgent changes were required to keep Australians safe.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The court rejected the argument, concluding that a prospective rate hearing — unlike that on the response time — would be considered contested and the utility would have the opportunity to challenge the finding of imprudence then.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Closing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/closing%20out. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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