close to achieving

USAGE SUMMARY

"close to achieving" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when someone is almost reaching a desired goal or outcome. For example: "Jasmine is close to achieving her goal of becoming a professional dancer."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Nor does medical justice today come close to achieving fairness.

The New York Times

Diesel is close to achieving the same transparency.

The New York Times

But we are very close to achieving something special".

The Guardian - Sport

Look, we are very close to achieving Champions League [qualification].

The Guardian - Sport

"Science is getting close to achieving that goal".

The New York Times - Arts

The state is now close to achieving a decent compromise bill.

The New York Times

It was a formula that many choreographers imitated, but few came even close to achieving.

The Guardian

After four years of work, we believe that we are close to achieving our goal.

The New York Times

It's a difficult environment, but we think we'll come close to achieving our goal over all.

The New York Times - Sports

"We tried working with business and got extraordinarily close to achieving our vision.

The New York Times

"But still, it's not like they haven't come close to achieving this in the past".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Replace "close to achieving" with stronger synonyms like "accomplishing" or "attaining" when describing goals that are definitively reached.

Common error

Avoid using "close to achieving" when the action is already completed. It implies proximity to a goal, not the actual attainment of it. For instance, instead of saying "They were close to achieving the project completion after the final review", say "They completed the project after the final review".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "close to achieving" functions as a prepositional phrase modifying a verb, adjective, or noun. Ludwig AI confirms that it is grammatically sound and widely used. The phrase typically describes the state of nearing a specific goal or accomplishment, as illustrated in examples like "We are very close to achieving something special".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

76%

Science

12%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Academia

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "close to achieving" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to convey the idea of nearing a specific goal or accomplishment. According to Ludwig AI, it is correct and usable in written English. Ludwig's examples show the phrase is found most frequently in news and media sources, with a notable presence in scientific and business contexts as well. While the phrase is appropriate for a variety of registers, it's crucial to remember that it implies the goal is not yet fully reached. When describing completed actions, alternative phrases should be employed for greater accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

within reach of success

Indicates proximity and attainability.

on the verge of accomplishing

Emphasizes imminence and the final step.

approaching success

Emphasizes the outcome rather than the action.

nearing completion

Focuses on the stage of the task, rather than the act of achieving.

on the cusp of reaching

Implies a critical turning point.

about to attain

Highlights the attainment or possession of a goal.

in sight of victory

Suggests that the end goal is apparent and achievable.

on track to realize

Stresses that the plan or process is unfolding as expected.

drawing near to fulfillment

Focuses on completeness and satisfaction.

on the home stretch toward

Focuses on the final part of the journey.

FAQs

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

You can use "close to achieving" to indicate that someone or something is nearing a goal. For instance, "The company is close to achieving its sales target this quarter".

What's a more formal alternative to "close to achieving"?

In formal contexts, you might use phrases like "on the verge of accomplishing" or "nearing completion" as alternatives to "close to achieving".

What does it mean to be "close to achieving" something?

Being "close to achieving" something means you are very near to reaching a desired goal or outcome, implying that success is likely but not yet certain.

What can I say instead of "close to achieving"?

You can use alternatives like "nearing completion", "on the verge of accomplishing", or "approaching success" depending on the context.