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Glite Dictionary
👣 To approach 🧥 To pull nearer
to draw close

to draw close

12 3.2
Pull someone toward yourself to comfort or protect them
  • phrasal verb
  • /drɔ klos/
: acoger
  • Perhaps it was God's will, my mother said, drawing me close to her.

Examples

  • Doc puts an arm around PK's shoulder, drawing him close, comforting him.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • His slow-paced singing seemed to draw everyone close, inward, as though it reached through each one of us.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The cherry eyes were wide, and his family had drawn close to him, almost melting together.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • A sudden slash of wind made me draw my coat close.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • When they were safely away, she drew Triss and Desidio close.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Then, to Christopher's great astonishment and delight, he drew him close and kissed him on the mouth.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • My grandmother always drew close whenever I was feeling scared.

  • He drew close to the child to comfort her after she fell.

  • During the storm, she drew close her pet for warmth and protection.

Synonyms

to pull
vsto draw close
∞ 1.0

To move something toward you using force, often to remove it

adds a sense of comfort or protection rather than pure forceful movement
to hold close
vsto draw close
38 1.4

Keep a person or thing tightly against your body

is more about pulling to give comfort or protection before embracing
to draw near
vsto draw close
30 2.6

To move closer in place or time

is specifically about pulling someone toward oneself to comfort or protect
to gather
vsto draw close
7 2.5

Pull something close to your body, like a coat or blanket

is used when pulling to offer comfort or protection rather than arranging

Antonyms

to push away
69 2.0

To move something away from you by pushing with your hands

How Close

to embrace
95 2.8
to draw close
12 3.2
to come near
91 1.8
to approach
559 2.1

Surface Forms

draw close infinitive
drawing close present participle
draws close third person singular
drew close past
drawn close past participle

Morphology

draw + close

The meaning 'to pull someone or something toward oneself' is directly and compositionally derived from 'draw' (to pull) + 'close' (near), so a learner who knows both words can infer the phrase. This motion/bringing-closer sense is a common and literal construction across languages and follows regular English verb + adjective/particle patterns, making it readily comprehensible to B1 learners.

Etymology

Draw close uses draw meaning 'to pull' and close meaning 'near', giving the image of pulling a coat or a child in toward your body for warmth or comfort. That's why it means 'to pull someone or something toward oneself'.