{
    "term": "close",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "close",
            "heSheIt": "closes"
        },
        "pastSimple": "closed",
        "pastParticiple": "closed",
        "ingForm": "closing"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to put something into a position so that it covers an opening; to get into this position",
            "sensetop": "close (something)",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He **closed the door** firmly."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Would anyone mind if I **closed the window**?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She closed the gate behind her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's dark now—let's close the curtains."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I **closed my eyes** against the bright light."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The doors open and close automatically."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She gently closed the door behind her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She closed her eyes and fell asleep immediately."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He closed his ears to the noise."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The gates can be opened and closed at the touch of a button."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "shut",
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["firmly", "tightly", "gently"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to move the parts of something together so that it is no longer open",
            "sensetop": "close something",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to close a book/an umbrella"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He ate greedily, without closing his mouth."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "shut",
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["firmly", "tightly", "gently"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to make the work of a shop, etc. stop for a period of time; to not be open for people to use",
            "sensetop": "be closed be closed for somethingbe closed to somebody/somethingclose for something",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The school was closed because of the heavy snow.",
                    "contextForm": "be closed"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The museum has been closed for renovation.",
                    "contextForm": "be closed for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The **road was closed** to traffic for two days.",
                    "contextForm": "be closed to somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The castle has been closed to visitors because of the royal wedding."
                },
                {
                    "text": "What time does the bank close?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We close for lunch between twelve and two.",
                    "contextForm": "close for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Tomorrow college officially closes for the vacation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The museum has been temporarily closed to the public."
                },
                {
                    "text": "On Friday, all the offices were closed for the parade."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The shops don't close until 10 p.m."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She urged them not to close their borders to refugees."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The canal is rarely closed for repair work."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They have closed two stations for repairs."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Shopping"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["permanently", "temporarily", "officially"],
                "preposition": ["to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "if a company, shop, etc. closes, or if you close it, it stops operating as a business",
            "sensetop": "close something",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The hospital closed at the end of last year."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The play closed after just three nights."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The club was closed by the police.",
                    "contextForm": "close something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "All the steelworks around here were closed down in the 1980s."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was a pity the business closed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They are closing their Liverpool factory."
                },
                {
                    "text": "That factory's been closed down now."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The plant will be closed in February with the loss of almost 400 jobs."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The programme may be forced to close due to a dramatic rent increase."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The decision to close a business can be challenging."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The company has announced plans to close three factories and lay off 600 workers."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["permanently", "temporarily", "officially"],
                "preposition": ["to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "to end or make something end",
            "sensetop": "close something",
            "labels": "North American EnglishNorth American English",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The meeting will close at 10.00 p.m."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The offer closes at the end of the week."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I will close with a few words about future events."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to close a meeting/debate",
                    "contextForm": "close something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "to close a case/an investigation"
                },
                {
                    "text": "to close an account *(= to stop keeping money in a bank account)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The subject is now closed *(= we will not discuss it again)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A police spokesman said that the case was now closed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Mr Hunt then closed the debate for the government."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The festival closed with a rousing chorus of 'Jerusalem'."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The police have now closed the file on him."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Counting of votes will begin when the polls close."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She felt she had closed that chapter in her life."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 6,
            "definition": "to arrange and settle a business deal",
            "sensetop": "close something",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Right now we are trying to **close the deal** with our sponsors."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Business"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 7,
            "definition": "to put an end to a mistake in something that causes a security risk or gives somebody an unfair advantage",
            "sensetop": "close something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The company acted quickly to close a security hole in its online systems."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Congressional leaders have agreed to **close a loophole** that gave small businesses a big tax break for buying SUVs."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 8,
            "definition": "to stop using a computer program or file and put it away",
            "sensetop": "close something",
            "labels": "(computing)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Once I got a few apps closed, it started working again."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 9,
            "definition": "to be worth a particular amount at the end of the day’s business",
            "sensetop": "close (at something)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Shares in the company closed at 265p."
                },
                {
                    "text": "closing prices"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 10,
            "definition": "to make the distance or difference between two people or things smaller; to become smaller or narrower",
            "sensetop": "close (something)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "These measures are aimed at **closing the gap** between rich and poor."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The gap between the two top teams is closing all the time."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 11,
            "definition": "to cover somebody/something and hold them/it, or to make something do this",
            "sensetop": "close (something) about/around/over somebody/something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She closed her hand over his."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her hand closed over his."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 12,
            "definition": "to make an electrical circuit continuous",
            "sensetop": "close something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "When a finger touches the panel, it closes the circuit."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to stop doing something because you no longer believe you will be successful or will find a solution",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The police have closed the book on the case *(= they have stopped trying to solve it)*."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to make it unlikely that something will happen",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She was careful not to close the door on the possibility of further talks."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to stop trading",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The factory closed its doors for the last time in 2009."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The company closed shop and left the US last year."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Business"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to refuse to think about something as a possibility",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "if a group of people close ranks, they work closely together to defend themselves, especially when they are being criticized",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It's not unusual for the police to close ranks when one of their officers is being investigated."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "if soldiers close ranks, they move closer together in order to defend themselves",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to refuse to listen to something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She decided to shut her ears to all the rumours."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to pretend that you have not noticed something so that you do not have to deal with it",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You can't just close your eyes to his violence."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They seem intent on shutting their eyes to the problems of pollution."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "very easily, without thinking about it",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I've made this trip so often, I could do it with my eyes shut."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kləʊz/",
                "audio": "cl/close/close__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkləʊzɪz/",
                "audio": "cl/close/closes__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kləʊzd/",
                "audio": "cl/close/closed__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkləʊzɪŋ/",
                "audio": "cl/close/closing__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kləʊz/",
                "audio": "cl/close/close__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkləʊzɪz/",
                "audio": "cl/close/closes__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kləʊzd/",
                "audio": "cl/close/closed__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkləʊzɪŋ/",
                "audio": "cl/close/closing__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French clos-, stem of clore, from Latin claudere ‘to shut’."
}