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
The Great East Japan Earthquake was a six-minute event that killed nearly 20,000 people and shifted the earth on its axis.
—
Rebecca Chace
july 14, Literary Hub, 14 July 2025
Kimmel’s tribute to Otto has amassed 255,000 views and nearly 9,000 reactions and comments on Facebook as of July 14.
—Mark Price
updated July 14, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
For example, the insurance company has received nearly 13,000 claims and paid out more than $4.2 billion to California homeowners who suffered losses during the devastating wildfires that raged across the Los Angeles area in January, according to an update posted last week on its website.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Excluding Israel and Ukraine, the United States spent nearly $52 billion on foreign aid last year.
—The Editors, National Review, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nearly
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.
Rebecca Chace
july 14, Literary Hub, 14 July 2025
Kimmel’s tribute to Otto has amassed 255,000 views and nearly 9,000 reactions and comments on Facebook as of July 14.
—Mark Price
updated July 14, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
For example, the insurance company has received nearly 13,000 claims and paid out more than $4.2 billion to California homeowners who suffered losses during the devastating wildfires that raged across the Los Angeles area in January, according to an update posted last week on its website.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Excluding Israel and Ukraine, the United States spent nearly $52 billion on foreign aid last year.
—The Editors, National Review, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Cite this Entry
“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nearly. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share