Word
approaches
Phoneticsap·proach·es
US/əˈpɹoʊtʃəz/
UK/ɐpɹˈəʊtʃɪz/
Definitions
01to come closer
v. to move closer to someone or something in distance.
v. to move nearer to someone or something in space.
“The train slowed down as it approached the station.”
“As the storm approached the coastline, local authorities issued a mandatory evacuation order for all low-lying residential areas.”
Usage
This verb is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.
Pitfall
We approached to the building.
We approached the building.
The verb 'approach' is transitive and does not take the preposition 'to' when followed by a destination.
02time coming closer
v. to get closer to a specific time or event.
v. to draw near in time.
“The children got more excited as Christmas approached.”
“As the deadline for the research grant approached, the laboratory staff worked late into the evening to finalise their data sets.”
Usage
Often used intransitively when the subject is a time or event.
03a method
n. a way of dealing with a situation or problem.
n. a way of dealing with a matter or problem; a specific methodology.
“The school decided to try a new approach to teaching languages.”
“The CEO advocated for a more aggressive approach to market expansion, despite concerns from the board regarding short-term liquidity.”
Usage
Often takes the preposition 'to'.
04a path or route
n. a path, road, or direction used to reach a place.
n. a road, passage, or way by which a place may be reached.
“The approach to the castle was steep and narrow.”
“Air traffic control cleared the pilot for the final approach to the runway, noting that visibility had improved significantly.”
05social advances
n. efforts to start a conversation or a relationship with someone.
n. an initial proposal or request made to someone; movements to gain favour.
“The company made several approaches to buy their smaller competitor.”
“Despite his repeated social approaches, she remained professional and kept their interactions strictly focused on the project.”
Formal
Teaching tip
In this sense, the plural 'approaches' is very common when describing business or romantic overtures.
Real-World Examples
“The discovery could open new approaches to treating addiction as well as obesity.” “We wanted to assess how effective they have been and, importantly, what sort of blueprint they set out for future research-informed approaches.” “The researchers also found that these approaches can increase weight loss when paired with certain GLP-1-based weight loss medicines.” Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/approaches