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   approach

   /əˈprəʊtʃ/

   verb

   • 1. come near or nearer to (someone or something) in distance or time: "the train approached the main line" Similar proceed towardscome/go towardsadvance towardsgo near/nearercome near/nearerdraw near/nearercome close/closergo close/closerdraw close/closermove near/neareredge near/nearerneardraw nearclose in oncentre onfocus onconverge oncatch up ongain oncreep up onloomreacharrive atOpposite leave
   • ▪ come close to (a number, level, or standard) in quality or quantity: "the population will approach 12 million by the end of the decade" Similar border onapproximateverge onresemblebe comparable/similar tocompare withtouchnudgeget on fornearcome near tocome/be close toinformal:be not a million miles away from
   • ▪ bring nearer: archaic "all those changes shall serve to approach him the faster to the blest mansion"
   • 2. speak to (someone) for the first time about a proposal or request: "the department had been approached about funding" Similar speak totalk tomake conversation withengage in conversationtake asidedetaingreetaddresssalutehailinitiate a discussion withbroach the matter tomake advances tomake overtures tomake a proposal tosound outpropositionsolicitappeal toapply toinformal:buttonhole
   • 3. start to deal with (a situation or problem) in a certain way: "one must approach the matter with caution" Similar set abouttacklebeginstartcommenceembark onmake a start onaddress oneself toundertakeget down tolaunch intogo aboutget to grips withinformal:get cracking on

   noun

   • 1. a way of dealing with a situation or problem: "we need a whole new approach to the job" Similar attitudeslantperspectivepoint of viewviewpointoutlookline of attackline of actionmethodprocedureprocesstechniqueMOstylestrategystratagemwaymannermodetactictackpathsystemmeansmodus operandi
   • 2. an initial proposal or request made to someone: "the landowner made an approach to the developer" Similar proposalpropositionsubmissionmotionofferapplicationappealplea
   • ▪ behaviour intended to propose personal or sexual relations with someone: dated "feminine resistance to his approaches" Similar advancesoverturessuggestionsattentionssuit
   • 3. the action of coming near or nearer to someone or something in distance or time: "the approach of winter" Similar advancecoming near/nearercomingnearingadventarrivalentranceappearance
   • ▪ an approximation to something: "the past is impossible to recall with any approach to accuracy" Similar approximationlikenesssemblancecorrespondenceparallel
   • ▪ the part of an aircraft's flight in which it descends gradually towards an airfield or runway for landing: "the aircraft completed the approach and touched down"
   • ▪ a road, sea passage, or other way leading to a place: "the northern approaches to London" Similar drivewaydriveaccess roadroadavenuestreetpassageway

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French aprochier, aprocher, from ecclesiastical Latin appropiare ‘draw near’, from ad- ‘to’ + propius (comparative of prope ‘near’).

   Scrabble Points: 17

   • A

     1

   • P

     3

   • P

     3

   • R

     1

   • O

     1

   • A

     1

   • C

     3

   • H

     4

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