Close in
Close in verb - To come near or nearer.
Match and close in are semantically related. in come nearer topic. In some cases you can use "Match" instead a verb "Close in".
Mutual synonyms
Both terms in one sentence
- It's a very dedicated ground attack craft, and, in that regard, few other aircraft can match both its speed and firepower; and none come close in durability thanks to its titanium armor.
Source: Lightning Bruiser / Real Life - Though some of his opponents do get killed as a result of Michael Weston's machinations, just as often they are left alive, in the burning wreckage of their lives, holding the match as the police sirens close in.
Source: Cruel Mercy -
However, after years of pushing and patiently developing a formidable forward pack, they finally beat Scotland in 2015 and ran (an admittedly very off-form) Wales close in a World Cup warm-up match later that year.
Source: Rugby Union
Cite this Source
Match and Close in. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/close_in/match
Close in & Match. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/close_in/match>.
Match or Close in. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/close_in/match.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "close in" and "match" have occurred on timeline