Sentence:  If the party of Adenauer and Erhart , with 45 per cent of the vote , <WSD>approaches</WSD> the party of Willy Brandt , which won 36 per cent , the result would be a stiffening of the old resolve . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  come near or verge on, resemble, come nearer in quality, or character