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
According to the Anti-Defamation League, there were nearly 9,000 antisemitic incidents in 2023, a rise of nearly 140% over the previous year.
—
USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024
On one recent record-setting night, DESI was able to record the locations of nearly 200,000 galaxies.
—Charlie Wood, WIRED, 28 Apr. 2024
Tomatoes, cotton, cantaloupe and squash burst from the fields, part of the bounty that enables this valley to produce nearly half the fruits and nuts grown in the U.S.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2024
The fish weighed nearly as much as the young fisher.
—The Enquirer, 27 Apr. 2024
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
USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024
On one recent record-setting night, DESI was able to record the locations of nearly 200,000 galaxies.
—Charlie Wood, WIRED, 28 Apr. 2024
Tomatoes, cotton, cantaloupe and squash burst from the fields, part of the bounty that enables this valley to produce nearly half the fruits and nuts grown in the U.S.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2024
The fish weighed nearly as much as the young fisher.
—The Enquirer, 27 Apr. 2024
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
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.
Dictionary Entries Near nearly
Cite this Entry
“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nearly. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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