18 Idioms with “Close”

18 Idioms with Close (Meanings & Examples)

Hello, English learners! Welcome to a new lesson! Idioms with close are very common in everyday English and often express ideas of nearness, secrecy, risk, or emotional impact. In this lesson, you’ll learn 18 useful idioms with “close”, explained clearly and illustrated with natural example sentences.

Close at hand

Meaning: near in space or time; easily available.

I always keep my passport close at hand when I’m travelling.

Close call

Meaning: a dangerous or unpleasant situation that was narrowly avoided.

That was a close call — the car missed us by just a few centimetres.

Close ranks

Meaning: to unite and support each other, especially under pressure or criticism.

When the company was criticised in the media, the staff closed ranks.

Close-run

Meaning: decided by a very small margin.

It was a close-run election, with only a few hundred votes separating the candidates.

Close shave

Meaning: a situation in which danger or trouble was almost experienced.

Missing that flight was a close shave — we arrived just in time.

Close the gap

Meaning: to reduce the difference between two people, groups, or situations.

The programme aims to close the gap between rich and poor students.

Close to the mark

Meaning: almost correct or accurate.

Her guess was close to the mark, even though it wasn’t completely right.

Close up shop

Meaning: to stop operating, especially a business (often temporarily or permanently).

Many small businesses were forced to close up shop during the winter.

Close your eyes to something

Meaning: to deliberately ignore a problem or wrongdoing.

He closed his eyes to the warning signs and paid the price later.

Come close

Meaning: to nearly achieve something or be almost as good as something else.

No other candidate came close to her level of experience.

Hit close to home

Meaning: to affect someone deeply on a personal level.

The film hit close to home because it reflected my own childhood.

Hold your cards close to your chest

Meaning: to keep your intentions or plans secret.

She held her cards close to her chest during the negotiations.

In close quarters

Meaning: in a small or confined space.

Working in close quarters can be stressful if people don’t get along.

Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer

Meaning: be friendly with rivals so you can watch them carefully.

In politics, many leaders believe in keeping their friends close, but their enemies closer.

Run close

Meaning: to be almost equal in performance or competition.

The two teams ran close throughout the match.

Sail close to the wind

Meaning: to behave in a risky or borderline unacceptable way.

The journalist knew she was sailing close to the wind with that article.

Up close

Meaning: very near; from a short distance.

Seeing the painting up close was an unforgettable experience.

When one door closes, another opens

Meaning: a new opportunity appears after a disappointment.

Losing that job felt awful, but when one door closes, another opens.

Final tip for learners

Idioms with close often express risk, secrecy, or emotional impact. Learn them as fixed expressions and practise using them in context — this will make your English sound natural, confident, and advanced, especially in speaking and writing.

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