come close to attaining

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "come close to attaining" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing efforts or attempts to reach a goal or achieve something, indicating proximity to success. Example: "After months of hard work, we have come close to attaining our sales target for the quarter."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Launched in late 2004, it is the only mobile handset to have come close to attaining the iconic status of the iPod or the BlackBerry.

The Economist

The latter becomes necessary only when you're in the immediate neighborhood of hugely massive objects, like the dun, or when you're moving at speeds far higher than any space probe has ever come close to attaining.

The New Yorker

Most other people say, "Allan who?" Well, if Mr. Block did not come close to attaining the fame that Mr. Dylan did, he did play a leading role in shaping the Village folk scene from which Mr. Dylan sprang in the early 60's.

The New York Times

Using Monte Carlo simulations it is shown that estimation algorithms can come close to attaining the limit given in the expression.

Biophysical Journal

REither" Sign up nowayo get the best of VICE Canada delivered straight to your inbox.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

It's no wonder that her retro-soul style, inspired by Sixties girl groups such as the Shangri-Las and Ronettes, spawned a new generation of pretenders, though none came close to attaining Winehouse's levels of heartbreaking potency.

Independent

As a doctor who sought daily to empathise with people of very different backgrounds and perspectives, Sassall, they perceived, came closer to attaining this ideal than most men or women ever could.

The Guardian - Books

My friends who came closest to attaining the American Dream did it by breaking the rules on how to get there.

Vice

Establish a realistic goal and provide a tool that shows their progress as they get closer to attaining that goal.

WikiHow

Few come close to Ayanokoji.

Forbes

Several others have come close to qualifying.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "come close to attaining" when you want to express that a goal or achievement was nearly reached, but not fully accomplished. It suggests a high degree of progress without complete success.

Common error

Avoid using "come close to attaining" when the goal has already been fully achieved. The phrase indicates near success, not actual completion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "come close to attaining" functions as a verbal phrase expressing the state of nearing a specific goal or achievement. It describes a situation where something is almost, but not fully, accomplished, as supported by examples provided by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Wiki

30%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "come close to attaining" is a useful expression for indicating near-success or substantial progress toward a specific goal. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and suitable for various contexts, predominantly appearing in news, media, scientific and wiki sources. While it's not as frequent as simpler synonyms like "almost reach" or "nearly achieve", "come close to attaining" provides a specific nuance, emphasizing the proximity to a target without claiming full accomplishment. When writing, be mindful of situations where the goal is actually achieved, as the phrase is reserved for instances where complete success is not attained.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

nearly achieve

Focuses on the action of achieving, emphasizing the nearness to success.

almost reach

Emphasizes the act of reaching a destination or goal, highlighting the near completion.

approach achieving

Highlights the process of moving toward achievement, indicating a progressive approach.

approximate attainment

Stresses the approximation of the final attainment, focusing on similarity rather than exactness.

come near to accomplishing

Uses 'accomplishing' to emphasize the completion aspect of a task, with a sense of proximity.

get close to realizing

Shifts the focus to 'realizing' a goal, implying a concrete manifestation that is nearly achieved.

border on achieving

Suggests being at the very edge of achievement, highlighting the thin line between close and complete.

verge on attainment

Similar to 'border on', emphasizing the immediate proximity to reaching a desired state.

within reach of obtaining

Focuses on the accessibility and nearness of 'obtaining' something, rather than the effort to attain.

fall just short of achieving

Highlights the failure to completely achieve, despite being close to success. It also uses more words.

FAQs

How can I use "come close to attaining" in a sentence?

You can use "come close to attaining" to describe progress toward a goal that hasn't been fully reached. For example, "The company "came close to attaining" its sales target this quarter, but fell slightly short".

What are some alternatives to "come close to attaining"?

Alternatives include "nearly achieve", "almost reach", or "approach achieving", depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "come close to attained"?

No, the correct phrasing is "come close to attaining". "Attaining" is a gerund (verb acting as a noun), which is required after the preposition "to" in this context.

What is the difference between "come close to attaining" and "attain"?

"Attain" means to successfully reach or achieve something. "Come close to attaining" means to almost achieve it, but not quite. The former indicates success, while the latter indicates near success.