near and dear
idiom
: very close in relationship
friends who are near and dear
my nearest and dearest friend
Examples of near and dear in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On top of that, this year’s tournament is at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, on Long Island – a place near and dear to any Empire State golfer, even one like the president who hasn’t played a public track like the fabled Black course in many, many years.
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Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
Patrick’s current favorite menu item is another ode to someone near and dear.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
The Supreme Court confirmed those findings in its 1960 Duberstein opinion (a case near and dear to the hearts of tax attorneys).
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The focus on preserving our spacefaring history is a subject near and dear to Pope's heart.
—Ian Stokes, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near and dear
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Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
Patrick’s current favorite menu item is another ode to someone near and dear.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
The Supreme Court confirmed those findings in its 1960 Duberstein opinion (a case near and dear to the hearts of tax attorneys).
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The focus on preserving our spacefaring history is a subject near and dear to Pope's heart.
—Ian Stokes, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near and dear
Cite this Entry
“Near and dear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near%20and%20dear. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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