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
Named after the 19th-Century Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister Viscount Palmerston, the cat quickly garnered a large online fanbase, boasting nearly 100,000 followers as of Tuesday who closely tracked his adventures across Westminster.
—
Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
That case eventually ended with a judge awarding nearly $13 million to the 22 women who had sued him and the others involved with the GirlsDoPorn site.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
In fact, for the first nearly 2 billion years of Earth’s history, there was no appreciable oxygen in the planet’s atmosphere at all.
—Big Think, 17 Feb. 2026
Several of Wiseman's nearly 50 films have been made available for public viewing by PBS and streaming services like Kanopy; otherwise, they were largely screened at film festivals and indie theaters.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nearly
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Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
That case eventually ended with a judge awarding nearly $13 million to the 22 women who had sued him and the others involved with the GirlsDoPorn site.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
In fact, for the first nearly 2 billion years of Earth’s history, there was no appreciable oxygen in the planet’s atmosphere at all.
—Big Think, 17 Feb. 2026
Several of Wiseman's nearly 50 films have been made available for public viewing by PBS and streaming services like Kanopy; otherwise, they were largely screened at film festivals and indie theaters.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Cite this Entry
“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nearly. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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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