靠近 (kào jìn) is the general verb for 'to approach' or 'get close to' in space or figuratively (e.g., scores). It overlaps with 接近 (jiē jìn), but 接近 is more common for abstract closeness (接近完成 'near completion') and can be used in both spatial and temporal senses; 靠近 is more concrete and often spatial. Unlike 靠 (kào), which primarily means 'lean against' or 'rely on', 靠近 specifically focuses on decreasing distance.