nearby

adverb or adjective

near·​by nir-ˈbī How to pronounce nearby (audio)
ˈnir-ˌbī
Synonyms of nearbynext
: close at hand

Synonyms of nearby

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of nearby in a Sentence

grabbed the nearby quilt and gently laid it over the sleeping child I'll be nearby if you need anything
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Other cadets stand nearby, tracking the wind and sea conditions. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 1 July 2026 Clemson is about 15 miles away, and amenities nearby include a pool, gym, and dining. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 30 June 2026 Most of the victims lived nearby, and funeral prayers were expected later Tuesday. — CNN Money, 1 July 2026 Most of the victims lived nearby, and funeral prayers were expected later Tuesday. — ABC News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for nearby

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nearby was in the 15th century

Rhymes for nearby

See All Rhymes for nearby

Browse Nearby Words

near beer
nearby
near completion
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nearby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nearby. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

nearby

adverb or adjective
near·​by ni(ə)r-ˈbī How to pronounce nearby (audio)
ˈni(ə)r-ˌbī
: close at hand

More from Merriam-Webster on nearby

Nglish: Translation of nearby for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All