What does approach mean?
Word: Approach
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Approach means to come nearer to someone or something.
Synonyms: near
Antonyms: leave
How do you spell approach?
Syllables: ap - proach
Tricky part: The vowel sound in the middle is spelt oa, as in coach. Dropping the a to write approch is a common slip.
Watch out for: approch, approoch
Memory tip: Approach has the same oa as coach: the coach will approach you after practice.
Approach in a sentence
Example 1: Approach the stray kitten slowly so that it does not run away.
Example 2: As we approached the station, the train began to whistle.
Example 3: Winter is approaching, so the mornings are colder.
Fun Fact
Pilots use approach for the last stage of a flight, when the plane lines up with the runway before landing.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
approach
a) reach
b) arrive
c) retreat
d) enter
Show answer
c) retreat. To retreat is to move back, the opposite of coming closer.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
corpapha
a) approahc
b) approach
c) apprcoah
d) appoarch
Show answer
b) approach. The o and a sit side by side, just as they do in coach.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The cat crept slowly forward to aproach the sparrow on the wall.
a) wall
b) slowly
c) crept
d) aproach
Show answer
d) aproach. Approach needs two p's after the a.
Word Makeup
Choose the suffix that completes the word:
approach
a) able
b) uble
c) eble
d) ible
Show answer
a) able. Someone who is easy to talk to is approachable; the ending is able, as in comfortable.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. As the train approached the platform, the people waiting ____.
a) walked out of the station
b) switched off the lights
c) stepped back from the edge
d) lay down on the benches
Show answer
c) stepped back from the edge
2. The approach to the fort was a steep, narrow path. Here, approach means ____.
a) the way leading to a place
b) the gate of a building
c) the wall around a garden
d) the top of a high hill
Show answer
a) the way leading to a place
