1
: in a close manner or relationship
nearly related
2
a
: almost but not quite
nearly identical
nearly a year later
b
: to the least extent
not nearly as good as we expected
Examples of nearly in a Sentence
I see her nearly every day.
We lived there for nearly two years.
Nearly all of us got sick that weekend.
Recent Examples on the Web
The richest 20% of Americans received nearly 64% of the tax benefits.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
As of last month, the primary remained wide open, with nearly 4 in 10 Democratic voters — 39 percent — not yet picking a primary candidate.
—Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
But there was no follow-up by regulators, letting the collection of bodies grow to nearly 200 over the following three years.
—Jesse Bedayn, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
Davidson worked for the company for nearly 50 years and retired in 2012 as chief styling officer.
—Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2024
According to Gallup’s December 2023 poll, nearly half of U.S. adults, 49%, reported frequently feeling stressed out and lethargic.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024
Part 2: Rogers gets nearly to the infield before Melvin sees him.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
This year’s selections bring the number of titles on the registry to 650 – a small portion of the national library’s recorded sound collection of nearly four million items.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
The rejection of the plan sends Kelly and GOP leadership back to the drawing board after nearly two years of squabbles over Kansas’ income tax structure.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
As of last month, the primary remained wide open, with nearly 4 in 10 Democratic voters — 39 percent — not yet picking a primary candidate.
—Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
But there was no follow-up by regulators, letting the collection of bodies grow to nearly 200 over the following three years.
—Jesse Bedayn, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
Davidson worked for the company for nearly 50 years and retired in 2012 as chief styling officer.
—Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2024
According to Gallup’s December 2023 poll, nearly half of U.S. adults, 49%, reported frequently feeling stressed out and lethargic.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024
Part 2: Rogers gets nearly to the infield before Melvin sees him.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
This year’s selections bring the number of titles on the registry to 650 – a small portion of the national library’s recorded sound collection of nearly four million items.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
The rejection of the plan sends Kelly and GOP leadership back to the drawing board after nearly two years of squabbles over Kansas’ income tax structure.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nearly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing nearly
Dictionary Entries Near nearly
Cite this Entry
“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nearly. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
nearly
adverb
near·ly
ˈni(ə)r-lē 
1
: in a close manner or relationship
nearly related
2
: almost but not quite
nearly the same
nearly missed the train
3
: to the least extent
not nearly enough
More from Merriam-Webster on nearly
Nglish: Translation of nearly for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of nearly for Arabic Speakers
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