approach

v. appeal to -, turn to -; come near to; access

n. access; incoming, drawing near; approximation; path or course leading to a specific location

Noun
1. ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation; "his approach to every problem is to draw up a list of pros and cons"; "an attack on inflation"; "his plan of attack was misguided"
(synonym) attack, plan of attack
(hypernym) conceptualization, conceptualisation, formulation
(hyponym) avenue
(derivation) set about, go about
2. the act of drawing spatially closer to something; "the hunter's approach scattered the geese"
(synonym) approaching, coming
(hypernym) motion, movement, move
(hyponym) access
(derivation) near, come on, go up, draw near, draw close, come near
3. a way of entering or leaving; "he took a wrong turn on the access to the bridge"
(synonym) access
(hypernym) way
(hyponym) entrance, entranceway, entryway, entry, entree
4. the final path followed by an aircraft as it is landing
(synonym) approach path, glide path, glide slope
(hypernym) air lane, flight path, airway, skyway
(part-holonym) traffic pattern, approach pattern, pattern
5. the event of one object coming closer to another
(synonym) approaching
(hypernym) movement, motion
(derivation) near, come on, go up, draw near, draw close, come near
6. a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others; "she rejected his advances"
(synonym) overture, advance, feeler
(hypernym) suggestion, proposition, proffer
7. the temporal property of becoming nearer in time; "the approach of winter"
(synonym) approaching, coming
(hypernym) timing
(derivation) come near
8. a close approximation; "the nearest approach to genius"
(hypernym) similarity
(derivation) border on
9. a relatively short golf shot intended to put the ball onto the putting green; "he lost the hole when his approach rolled over the green"
(synonym) approach shot
(hypernym) golf stroke, golf shot, swing
(hyponym) chip, chip shot
Verb
1. move towards; "We were approaching our destination"; "They are drawing near"; "The enemy army came nearer and nearer"
(synonym) near, come on, go up, draw near, draw close, come near
(hypernym) come, come up
(hyponym) drive up
(entail) advance, progress, pass on, move on, march on, go on
(verb-group) come near
(derivation) approaching
2. come near or verge on, resemble, come nearer in quality, or character; "This borders on discrimination!"; "His playing approaches that of Horowitz"
(synonym) border on
(hypernym) approximate, come close
(hyponym) converge
3. begin to deal with; "approach a task"; "go about a difficult problem"; "approach a new project"
(synonym) set about, go about
(hypernym) act, move
(hyponym) confront, face up, face
(derivation) attack, plan of attack
4. come near in time; "Winter is approaching"; "approaching old age"
(synonym) come near
(hypernym) come, come up
(hyponym) get on
(verb-group) near, come on, go up, draw near, draw close, come near
(derivation) approaching, coming
5. make advances to someone, usually with a proposal or suggestion; "I was approached by the President to serve as his adviser in foreign matters"
(hypernym) address, accost, come up to
(hyponym) hit
(derivation) overture, advance, feeler

(v. t.)
To take approaches to.
  

(v. t.)
To come near to in place, time, or character; to draw nearer to; as, to approach the city; to approach my cabin; he approached the age of manhood.
  

(v. t.)
To bring near; to cause to draw near; to advance.
  

(v. i.)
To draw near, in a figurative sense; to make advances; to approximate; as, he approaches to the character of the ablest statesman.
  

(v. i.)
To come or go near, in place or time; to draw nigh; to advance nearer.
  

(v. i.)
The advanced works, trenches, or covered roads made by besiegers in their advances toward a fortress or military post.
  

(v. i.)
The act of drawing near; a coming or advancing near.
  

(v. i.)
See Approaching.
  

(v. i.)
Movements to gain favor; advances.
  

(v. i.)
A way, passage, or avenue by which a place or buildings can be approached; an access.
  

(v. i.)
A access, or opportunity of drawing near.
  

1
noun
(a) way of dealing with a problem; the authority has adopted a radical approach to the problem of patient waiting lists
(b) (in surgery) path used by a surgeon when carrying out an operation
posterior approach = (operation) carried out from the back
transdiaphragmatic approach = (operation) carried out through the diaphragm
2
verb
to go, come nearer; as the consultant approached, all the patients looked at him

the stage in the selling process in which a salesperson contacts a potential customer to make an appointment or to present a product.