Phrasal verb
close in upon
Definition
phrasal verb. to move closer to someone or something from all sides, often to catch or attack them.
phrasal verb. to advance toward a target from multiple directions, effectively reducing the distance and limiting escape; often used in contexts of pursuit, entrapment, or metaphorical pressure.
Examples
“The police began to close in upon the suspect's hiding place.”
“As the sun set, the wolves started to close in upon the campfire where the hikers were resting.”
“The feeling of failure seemed to close in upon him as the deadline approached and his resources dwindled to nothing.”
Examples
simple
“The police began to close in upon the suspect's hiding place.”
contextual
“As the sun set, the wolves started to close in upon the campfire where the hikers were resting.”
complex
“The feeling of failure seemed to close in upon him as the deadline approached and his resources dwindled to nothing.”
Usage
often used with a physical target or a person feeling overwhelmed by abstract pressures.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'close in on' which is more common in modern speech; 'upon' adds a more formal or literary tone to the action.
Pitfall
The walls closed in at me.
The walls closed in upon me.
the preposition 'upon' or 'on' is required to show the direction of the movement toward the object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
in upon
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
close + in + upon + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/close-in-upon