1
2
as in relative
being such only when compared to something else
the incessant busyness of the family next-door makes us look like we live in near retirement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in living
closely resembling the object imitated
the dress is made from a near silk that would fool anyone but an expert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in close
not being distant in time, space, or significance
the famous prediction that in the near future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in familiar
closely acquainted
only her nearest friends know she's pregnant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in in
at, within, or to a short distance or time
as the campers grew cold, so they gravitated nearer to the campfire as summer draws near, we usually start planning our annual vacation
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
as in almost
very close to but not completely
it's near six o'clock, so we should start preparing dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in approximately
close to but not exactly
it takes somewhere near an hour to get there
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to close
to come near or nearer
as the procession nears, you'll be able to take a better picture of the graduates
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of near
Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Among the buildings struck Sunday was Al Kawthar Tower near Gaza’s port.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
After a near-fatal experience, Kaif began seeing both stories and silences differently.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Now near-constant phone usage makes this idea of mental and emotional escape almost comical.
—Allison Lax, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2025
Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2025
The pursuit of a third goaltender had created a major stress point as the start of training camp neared.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near
Preposition
Similarly, the penalty for West Germany’s equaliser was considered soft — Holzenbein was renowned for going to ground easily — but Wim Jansen dived in, and got nowhere near the ball, and it would be considered a stonewall penalty in 2025.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Among the buildings struck Sunday was Al Kawthar Tower near Gaza’s port.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
However, economists caution, the better-than-expected reading could be a sign of a slowing economy and that shrinking businesses’ margins could foretell higher prices for consumers in the near future.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
After a near-fatal experience, Kaif began seeing both stories and silences differently.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
Adverb
But as the supercontinent finally splintered apart around 200 million years ago and the near-endless age of dinosaurs found its groove, the planet recovered to conditions more hospitable to animal life.
—Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Now near-constant phone usage makes this idea of mental and emotional escape almost comical.
—Allison Lax, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
Soon after, a federal bankruptcy court held up the sale, leading to months of legal back-and-forth that may be nearing an end in The Onion's favor after a ruling last month by a state judge in Texas that placed Infowars in the custody of a state receiver directed to sell it.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2025
The pursuit of a third goaltender had created a major stress point as the start of training camp neared.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near
Recent Examples of Synonyms for near
Preposition
-
The trends have contributed to a slump in consumer confidence, dragging on spending and threatening leaders’ official growth target for this year of around 5%.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Fans eagerly flipped through its pages, circling premiere dates and planning their weekly schedules around prime-time lineups.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Ross, one of the Democrats to decline AIPAC money, is a relative centrist, according to a GovTrack scorecard, while Foushee and McGarvey, Kentucky’s only House Democrat, are in the middle of the pack ideologically.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Cells can be referred to by expressions in other cells using a special function use() with relative coordinates.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Together with previous finds, the new fossils demonstrate that at least four lineages of hominins (creatures more closely related to us than to our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees and bonobos) lived in eastern Africa between three million and 2.5 million years ago.—
Kate Wong,
Scientific American,
13 Aug. 2025
-
So, is this a case where a living organism transformed into a non-living state by evolutionary pressures?—
Dirk Schulze-Makuch,
Big Think,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
He was acquired, along with closer Victor Vodnik, in a July 2023 trade with the Braves for reliever Pierce Johnson.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
17 Sep. 2025
-
In the last fortnight alone, Starmer's Deputy Prime Minister and close ally Angela Rayner has resigned after a house tax scandal, triggering a major cabinet reshuffle.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
On the other side of the equation, the Chiefs’ receiving corps has looked eerily familiar.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The inertia of familiar patterns keeps people locked into old routines.—
Thomas Lim,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Players need to keep a careful eye on the sometimes small animation cues that presage an attack, move quickly and precisely to avoid that specific attack, and then dart back in during a quick counterattack window to do some damage before starting the cycle over again.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Customers who walk in and peer behind the counter will see Eid and his team cooking dishes right in front of them.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
European businesses will be closely watching that meeting, as China is the EU’s second-largest goods partner with trade standing at $732 billion euros in 2024.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
-
These options are often less expensive, faster, and more closely tied to job outcomes than a four-year degree.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The rule almost failed, however, when six Republicans halted action on the floor by initially voting against the procedural measure.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
-
That was a big ask and Mac Jones was great… Kyle asked him to throw almost 40 times on the road and there’s no George Kittle.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/near. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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