: 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
Cyril E. Holland, Outdoor Life, 8 May 2025
The rave attracts people from near and far for the massive boating and drinking extravaganza.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 25 May 2025
On the morning of Sunday, May 25, about 30 minutes before sunrise, a thin, waning crescent and bright Venus will be visible near the eastern horizon, according to EarthSky.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 25 May 2025
Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
Meanwhile, artists like Doja Cat, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Lil Wayne, Miley Cyrus and A$AP Rocky are all expected to drop albums in the near future.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
But as the trade deadline nears, the Red Sox's likely interest in Lowe could progress into an actual trade to bring him in for first base.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for near
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adverb
But with darkness near, Joe and I soon decided nothing further could be done until the next day.
—Cyril E. Holland, Outdoor Life, 8 May 2025
The rave attracts people from near and far for the massive boating and drinking extravaganza.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Preposition
Buckley then fled on foot, but shot himself with a handgun after Malvern police confronted him less than a half-mile to the north near Sand and Mt. Willow roads, the release states.
—Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 25 May 2025
On the morning of Sunday, May 25, about 30 minutes before sunrise, a thin, waning crescent and bright Venus will be visible near the eastern horizon, according to EarthSky.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 25 May 2025
Adjective
Expect to hear more news about Rodgers in the near future.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
Meanwhile, artists like Doja Cat, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Lil Wayne, Miley Cyrus and A$AP Rocky are all expected to drop albums in the near future.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Verb
That tune is nearing 200 weeks on both of those tallies.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
But as the trade deadline nears, the Red Sox's likely interest in Lowe could progress into an actual trade to bring him in for first base.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for near
Cite this Entry
“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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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