closer

noun

clos·​er ˈklō-zər How to pronounce closer (audio)
Synonyms of closernext
: one that closes
especially : a relief pitcher who specializes in finishing games

Examples of closer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Boone could have gone the committee route, as the Yankees acquired experienced closers in David Bednar and Camilo Doval. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025 The Phillies nabbed one of the most electric closers available in Jhoan Duran, while the Mets beefed up with Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto. — Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025 New York Mets Grade: A- Key takeaways: Among the contending teams, the Mets did the best job of building bullpen depth, adding three former closers in Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto, who collectively bring a wide variety of deliveries, arm angles and stuff. — Jim Bowden, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025 Burnes’ season-ending elbow injury in June combined with the loss of closers A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez seemed to begin a slow trickle-down from which the D-Backs never recovered. — Jack Magruder, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for closer

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of closer was in 1607

Phrases Containing closer

Rhymes for closer

See All Rhymes for closer

Browse Nearby Words

close quarters
closer
close reach
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Closer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/closer. Accessed 16 Aug. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on closer

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for closer

Nglish: Translation of closer for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about closer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Hypercorrections: Are you making these 6 common mistakes?

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

And So It Begins: 9 Words for Beginnings

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You

More Words with Remarkable Origins
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

And So It Begins: 9 Words for Beginnings
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All