A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

close the door on someone • close the door to
someone
close the door on someone —
1
. refuse to allow a person in:
Next a policeman let several people in including Dick, but
closed the door on me. 2. refuse to talk to or have any more
dealings with a person: They closed the door on their daughter
when she married without their consent.
close the door to someone —(of a club, university, etc.) refuse
admission: This country must not close the door to immi-
grants and refugees. Cf.: open the door to someone — allow a
certain category of people to enter or join: The Anglican church
had recently opened the door to women by ruling that national
bodies could choose their own bishops.
close thing • closest thing, the
close thing —(also: close shave) said of a dangerous situation
that a person just manages to avoid: John had just saved his
bacon. It had been a very close thing.
closest thing, the —most similar to a person or thing men-
tioned: Pat Branson was the closest thing to a manual worker
among us.
close time • closing time
close time —a season when it is illegal to kill certain animals
or fish: He would extend the close time, and he believes that
in a year the nets would be catching far more fish.
closing time —the time at which pubs, shops, etc. end busi-
ness: The art museum was fantastic, and we stayed until clos-
ing time.
close to someone • close with someone
close to someone —intimate or very familiar with smb.: Mr.
Weinberger is close to the President … much closer than Mr.
Haig has ever been.
close with someone —(coll.) stingy towards a person: He was
close with his son and never allowed him any pocket-money.
close to something • close with something
close to something —
1
. situated near to smth.: The area is a
70-hectare nature reserve lying close to the town. 2. nearly
equal to smth.: Visually the print is very close to the original
painting in color, tone and texture.
close with something —mean with one’s money, etc.: “Was
he in the habit of making you presents?” “Oh, no, sir; he was
very close with his money, sir.”