close to a minute

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "close to a minute" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a duration that is nearly one minute, often in contexts related to time estimation or measurement. Example: "The meeting lasted close to a minute, which was surprisingly brief for such a discussion."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

After close to a minute of silence, he said, "Sorry".

The New Yorker

It would end up burning for close to a minute.

The Guardian

But by television standards, the Al Jazeera video was notably extended -- close to a minute long.

The New York Times - Magazine

The show stood still for close to a minute while she wiped her eyes and tried to regain her composure.

The New York Times - Magazine

Lima's lead, once close to a minute after he broke away near the midway point, already had been shrinking under the chase pack's pressure before the incident.

The New York Times - Sports

Madsen looked crushed as he heard the verdict, sitting motionless for close to a minute with his eyes closed and his head bowed, in contrast to his behaviour during the trial, when he had looked frequently around the courtroom.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

Aiming to get the time it takes to ask for and settle a restaurant bill down from an average of ten minutes to closer to a minute, you simply scan an on-table QR code/NFC tag to first recall the bill.

TechCrunch

Late last week, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump gave a dark and fearful speech that was less "morning in America" and closer to "a minute to midnight on the Doomsday clock".

Huffington Post

He went close to a second on 27 minutes with a right-foot shot that flashed narrowly wide.

Independent

Brown went close to a second with a 67th-minute header, before Rovers sub Steve Brogan fired an effort just wide.

BBC

Cahill came close to a second England goal five minutes after the break when the busy Szczesny palmed away his downward header from a Gerrard corner.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "close to a minute" when you want to emphasize that the duration is slightly less than a full minute, creating a sense of immediacy or near-completion.

Common error

Avoid using "close to a minute" when the actual duration is significantly different from a minute. This phrase works best when the time is very nearly a minute, not several seconds off.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "close to a minute" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb, indicating the duration of an action or state. Ludwig AI shows that it specifies how long something lasted or took.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Academia

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "close to a minute" is a grammatically correct prepositional phrase used to approximate a duration that is slightly less than a full minute. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase's usability in written English. It is most commonly found in news and media, science, and wiki contexts. When using this phrase, ensure that the actual duration is indeed close to 60 seconds to maintain accuracy and avoid misrepresentation. Alternative phrases include "almost a minute", "nearly a minute" and "about a minute".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost a minute

Indicates a duration that is just shy of a full minute.

nearly a minute

Similar to "almost a minute", suggesting a time span that is not quite a minute.

about a minute

Indicates an approximate duration of one minute.

around a minute

Like "about a minute", it conveys an estimated time close to one minute.

in the vicinity of a minute

More formal way of saying approximately one minute.

approaching a minute

Suggests the time is getting closer to being a full minute.

just under a minute

Emphasizes that the duration is slightly less than one minute.

a short minute

Highlights the brevity of the time period.

a minute or so

Indicates a duration of roughly one minute.

fractionally less than a minute

More precise way to say it is a bit under one minute.

FAQs

How can I use "close to a minute" in a sentence?

You can use "close to a minute" to describe a duration that is almost, but not quite, a full minute. For example, "The presentation lasted "close to a minute", which was surprisingly short".

What are some alternatives to saying "close to a minute"?

Alternatives include "almost a minute", "nearly a minute", or "about a minute" depending on the context.

Is it more accurate to say "close to a minute" or "exactly one minute"?

"Exactly one minute" is precise, while "close to a minute" implies an approximation. Use "close to a minute" when the time is not precisely 60 seconds.

What is the difference between "close to a minute" and "a few seconds short of a minute"?

"Close to a minute" is a general approximation. "A few seconds short of a minute" is more specific, indicating the duration is very close to being a full minute, missing the mark by only a few seconds.