Close on Definition 1 of 3Pro Tip 1/3Time Duration Indicates the completion or span of something almost reaching a certain point. He's been working there for close on 10 years. Pro Tip 2/3Impressive Scale Emphasizes the largeness or significance of an amount or number. She has written close on 50 novels. Pro Tip 3/3Unexpected Estimation Conveys surprise at how close something is to a milestone or rounded figure. The attendance was close on 1,000 people.