close the topic

USAGE SUMMARY

'close the topic' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it as a polite way of indicating that you are done discussing a particular subject or idea. For example: "Let's close the topic for tonight and discuss it further tomorrow."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Jones seems about to close the topic, then muses on the notion.

The Guardian - Film

When this strategy does not work, she seeks to bound and close the topic.

Disability and Rehabilitation

Second, when Franco resists this attempt, Barbara moves to close the topic by indicating Franco's psychiatrist as the appropriate recipient for complaints about medication.

Disability and Rehabilitation

As in Extract 8, after Franco has displayed unwillingness to align to Barbara's assessment (which is informed by the compliance assumption), Barbara moves to close the topic, again by indicating the psychiatrists (Sara and doctor Pilla) as the proper recipients of complaints about side effects (lines 9 13).

Disability and Rehabilitation

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

As the election looms ever closer, the topic of climate change and global warming has been in the air -- with some experts and politicians calling the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy a reality check.

Huffington Post

The couple got "very close" and the topic of marriage was raised, but they were forced to wait.

Independent

The best-case scenario for retaining comments is providing real-time moderation of them to keep the conversation as close to the topic and as far from being mean-spirited as possible.

The Washington Post

And they might ask the obvious questions that those close to the topic can't see.

Forbes

Wikipedia editors quickly reversed all of my edits and chastised me for suggesting that anyone so close to the topic could be objective.

Huffington Post

Costolo closed out the topic by saying that the message he wants to send is that "Twitter will have an advertising business, ready in the near future, and available to partners".

TechCrunch

However posting a link to an old 'broadcast only' post in its own right, that managed all of 42 comments before being closed as the topic still unveils new and damning material daily, perhaps served more to confirm the points many outside the BBC have and are making, as opposed to answering anything.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "close the topic" when you want to politely indicate that you're finished discussing something and want to move on. It's suitable for both formal and informal settings.

Common error

While "close the topic" is a polite way to end a discussion, ensure you do so at a natural break in the conversation to avoid appearing dismissive or uninterested in others' contributions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "close the topic" functions as an idiomatic expression used to signal the termination of a discussion or conversation about a specific subject. Ludwig AI shows how it's used in various contexts to indicate a desire to move on to another subject.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "close the topic" is a grammatically correct and usable expression in English that politely signals the end of a discussion. As Ludwig AI confirms, it serves to efficiently manage conversations and transition to new subjects. While its frequency is relatively rare, it is suitable for both formal and informal contexts and commonly appears in news media, scientific literature, and academic discourse. When using this phrase, consider the context and ensure a natural conversational break to avoid appearing abrupt or dismissive.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

end the discussion

Focuses on concluding the conversation itself, rather than specifically closing the topic.

conclude the subject

Emphasizes the act of bringing the subject to a final point.

wrap up the topic

Suggests a summarizing and finalizing of the discussion.

move on from this subject

Highlights transitioning away from the current subject matter.

draw a line under the issue

Implies putting an end to a problem or disagreement definitively.

bring the matter to a close

Indicates a formal conclusion to a specific issue.

cease discussion on this

Directly requests the conversation to stop on the specified matter.

discontinue this line of conversation

Focuses on stopping a specific conversational direction.

shelve the topic

Suggests postponing or setting aside the discussion for later.

terminate this subject

Emphasizes a complete and decisive ending to the topic.

FAQs

What does "close the topic" mean?

The phrase "close the topic" means to end a discussion or conversation about a particular subject, either temporarily or permanently.

How can I use "close the topic" in a sentence?

You can use "close the topic" to politely signal that you want to move on to a different subject. For example: "Let's "wrap up the topic" for now and revisit it later."

What is a more formal way to say "close the topic"?

In a formal setting, you could say "conclude the subject" or "bring the matter to a close" to indicate the end of a discussion.

Is it rude to say "close the topic"?

It depends on the context. While generally polite, it can come across as abrupt if not used tactfully. Consider using a softer phrasing like "move on from this subject" if you're concerned about appearing dismissive.