Close
Close adjective - Having little space between items or parts.
Usage example: the soldiers marched in close formation against the enemy
Hard is a synonym for close in dense topic. In some cases you can use "Hard" instead the word "Close" as an adverb or an adjective, when it comes to topics like near.
Hard
Hard adjective - Having a consistency that does not easily yield to pressure.
Usage example: fell on the hard floor and bruised her arm
Close is a synonym for hard in dense topic. Sometimes you can use "Close" instead the word "Hard" as an adverb or an adjective, if it concerns topics such as near, in a fixed manner.
Both words in one sentence
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Even with all of these problems, the battle was certainly close and hard fought, and defeat meant the Entente could lose Paris just a few months into the war.
Source: Useful Notes / World War I - Basically, hard work is important, but to get to the very top or close to it, you need BOTH talent and hard work.
Source: Hard Work Hardly Works - A Space Marine biker list can be hard as hell to use effectively but when it is they are getting damn near close to Game Breaker territory.
Source: Difficult but Awesome
Cite this Source
Hard and Close. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/close/hard
Close & Hard. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/close/hard>.
Hard or Close. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/close/hard.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "close" and "hard" have occurred on timeline