close by
idiom
: at a short distance away
Don't worry: if anything happens I'll be (standing) close by.
They're building a school close by.
Examples of close by in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Additional houses that have recently changed hands close by include:
On Hill Road, Oakland, in September 2023, a 1,692-square-foot home was sold for $1,507,272, a price per square foot of $891.
—
Bay Area Home Report, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
Notably, in the video, the little girl was being held close by a woman.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 3 July 2025
Those details remain largely shrouded in mystery, secrets held close by research groups, the politicians sharing their stats and, most especially, the companies that have fallen increasingly silent since Trump took office.
—Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
Two Nordstrom stores are set to close by the end of the summer amid a wave of closures and shake-ups across the retail industry.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for close by
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Bay Area Home Report, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
Notably, in the video, the little girl was being held close by a woman.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 3 July 2025
Those details remain largely shrouded in mystery, secrets held close by research groups, the politicians sharing their stats and, most especially, the companies that have fallen increasingly silent since Trump took office.
—Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
Two Nordstrom stores are set to close by the end of the summer amid a wave of closures and shake-ups across the retail industry.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for close by
Cite this Entry
“Close by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/close%20by. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share