: close to
beaches near the city
seemed to be near death
1
a
: not far distant in time, place, or degree
in the near future
b
: almost happening : narrowly missed or avoided
a near win in the primary
a near midair collision
c
: nearly not happening
a near escape
2
: closely related or intimately associated
her nearest and dearest friend
3
a
: being the closer of two
the near side
b
: being the left-hand one of a pair
the near wheel of a cart
5
6
a
: closely resembling the standard or typical
a near desert
b
: approximating the genuine
near silk
nearness
noun
Examples of near in a Sentence
Adverb
The plant was near dead when I got it.
as the campers grew cold, so they gravitated nearer to the campfire
Preposition
I left the box near the door.
The cat won't go near fire.
There are several beaches near here.
She came home near midnight.
We feared he was near death.
Adjective
The nearest grocery store is three blocks away.
The near side headlight is out.
Verb
As the date of the performance neared, we grew more and more anxious.
He always cheers up when baseball season nears.
The airplane began to descend as it neared the island.
He must be nearing 80 years of age.
The negotiators were nearing a decision.
Recent Examples on the Web
Josh Yohe, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Texas State pitcher Madison Azua simultaneously groaned and laughed while recounting the near-torturous exercises the program put her and teammates through.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
The Dera was founded in 1948 by the mystic Mastana Balochistani in the Haryana city of Sirsa, near the northern state’s borders with Punjab, India’s breadbasket, and the desert state of Rajasthan.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Feb. 2026
That said, the plan is to incorporate the co-viewing methodology in advance of the 2026-27 broadcast season, which means the NFL’s TV ratings should continue to grow—even after this year’s near-record audience improved by 10%.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Larry Madowo, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
If your grits are nearing the end of their window, be sure to find ways to put this Southern specialty to use.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for near
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adverb
The Penguins looked like a team that was rather pleased with itself most of the game, attempting to execute near-impossible passes instead of simply going to work against an Ottawa team very much invested in a blue-collar game.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Texas State pitcher Madison Azua simultaneously groaned and laughed while recounting the near-torturous exercises the program put her and teammates through.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Preposition
The Kremlin said its aircraft reacted to a violation of a no-fly zone Russia has established in the area near Crimea.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
The Dera was founded in 1948 by the mystic Mastana Balochistani in the Haryana city of Sirsa, near the northern state’s borders with Punjab, India’s breadbasket, and the desert state of Rajasthan.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
The cells achieve an energy density of up to 175 Wh/kg, placing them broadly in line with lithium iron phosphate batteries and positioning them for practical, near-term use rather than experimental niches, reports InsideEVs.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Feb. 2026
That said, the plan is to incorporate the co-viewing methodology in advance of the 2026-27 broadcast season, which means the NFL’s TV ratings should continue to grow—even after this year’s near-record audience improved by 10%.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Facing huge manpower pressures as its war in Ukraine nears the four-year mark, Russia actively promotes the participation of African recruits in its army as part of a broader PR narrative.
—Larry Madowo, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
If your grits are nearing the end of their window, be sure to find ways to put this Southern specialty to use.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for near
Cite this Entry
“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
near
1 of 4 adverb1
: at, within, or to a short distance or time
night was drawing near
2
: in a condition or state resembling or close to : almost
near dead
3
: nearly sense 1
near related
near
2 of 4 preposition(ˈ)ni(ə)r
: close to
standing near the door
near
3 of 4 adjectiveˈni(ə)r
1
: closely related or associated
her nearest and dearest friend
2
a
: not far away
the near future
b
: barely avoided
a near disaster
c
: almost not happening
a near victory
3
: being the closer of two
the near side of a hill
4
: direct entry 2 sense 1, short
the nearest route
5
: closely resembling a model or a genuine example
near silk
nearness
noun
near
4 of 4 verbˈni(ə)r
: to come near : approach
the ship was nearing the dock
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