Base verb
Phrasal verbs with close
The verb close combines with 5 particles to form everyday phrasal verbs. Each particle steers the meaning in its own direction — here they are with clear definitions and examples, so you can see the whole family at once.
5 phrasal verbs · 8 meanings
close down
1 sense- Permanently stop a business or service
close in
1 sense- Surround so escape becomes harder
close off
1 sense- Block access to a place
close out
1 sense- End or settle a process or account
close up
4 senses- Shut a shop or building, often at the end of the day
- Move closer together so there is no gap
- (of a wound or opening) heal or seal itself
Quick quiz
Test yourself
“The factory closed down last year.” What does it mean?
Follow the pattern
Continue through the matching verb family and particle guides.
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice the close family in Sink In
Drill every sense of close with spaced repetition — recognition, particle cloze, and meaning recall — so the whole family sticks instead of blurring together.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
1,300+ phrasal verbs26 particle patternsBuilt for B1–C2
