"close with" means: A British military and historical phrase meaning to engage in direct combat with an enemy — to move in close enough to fight hand-to-hand or.... It carries a violent or aggressive reference, so it is worth noting the context. In most cases the word is used jokingly or for emphasis rather than as a sign of real intent. A calm question about where it was heard is usually all that is needed; pay more attention to behaviour and tone than to the word itself.
close with
A British military and historical phrase meaning to engage in direct combat with an enemy — to move in close enough to fight hand-to-hand or at close quarters.
Seen in the wild
5 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
The race is close with Hillary Clinton
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BlueskyMay 2026
But I called Michael's sister last, who I've also become close with over the last several months, just to make sure it was OK. She didn't bat an eye about it and said she thought her mom would love something from me.…
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BlueskyMay 2026
So I don't have relationship with my mom anymore, and that's a good thing. Normally Mother's Day just comes and goes. But this year, I've become pretty close with my boyfriend's mom and wanted to get her a gift. But I…
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BlueskyMay 2026
Every shot of him with the general public has the vibe of when you were a kid and being forced to stand around an elderly relative you weren't super close with as they rambled about stuff that didn't matter to you and…
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RedditMay 2026
would my brother miss me when i go to college? hi i’m a senior graduating in a few months! and have committed to a college where i will be dorming. my brother is six years older than me and i don’t feel very close wit…
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Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 28, 2026UK
A British military and historical phrase meaning to engage in direct combat with an enemy — to move in close enough to fight hand-to-hand or at close quarters. The phrase implies deliberate, aggressive movement toward an adversary rather than long-range engagement.
The order was to close with the enemy at first light and not give them room to reform.
Origin: Military usage of 'close' (to reduce the distance to) + 'with' (the object); standard British military terminology for engaging at close quarters. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
For parents
"close with" means: A British military and historical phrase meaning to engage in direct combat with an enemy — to move in close enough to fight hand-to-hand or.... It carries a violent or aggressive reference, so it is worth noting the context. In most cases the word is used jokingly or for emphasis rather than as a sign of real intent. A calm question about where it was heard is usually all that is needed; pay more attention to behaviour and tone than to the word itself.
For ESL learners
"close with" means: A British military and historical phrase meaning to engage in direct combat with an enemy — to move in close enough to fight hand-to-hand or.... Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (British) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK
(UK) To fight in a battle with (someone).
Heard in the wild
“The race is close with Hillary Clinton”
— Bluesky· May 2026“But I called Michael's sister last, who I've also become close with over the last several months, just to make sure it was OK. She didn't bat an eye about it and said she thought her mom would love something from me. And that was that.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“So I don't have relationship with my mom anymore, and that's a good thing. Normally Mother's Day just comes and goes. But this year, I've become pretty close with my boyfriend's mom and wanted to get her a gift. But I also didn't want to be weird about it. 🧵”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Every shot of him with the general public has the vibe of when you were a kid and being forced to stand around an elderly relative you weren't super close with as they rambled about stuff that didn't matter to you and all you wanted to do was leave and go play Nintendo”
— Bluesky· May 2026“would my brother miss me when i go to college? hi i’m a senior graduating in a few months! and have committed to a college where i will be dorming. my brother is six years older than me and i don’t feel very close with him as much as i would like to be. we’re both very independent people whose paths don’t rly cross so much and i just feel like he wouldn’t rly care when i go to college.”
— r/teenagers· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "close with" (C)
closemouthclose one eyeclose roundclosetcloset caseclose upclosing formclosing timeclotburcloth capcloth diapercloth-eared
Browse all slang words starting with C.