nearly

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adverb near·ly \ ˈnir-lē \

Definition of nearly

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

See nearly defined for English-language learners

See nearly defined for kids

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 of nearly from the Web

Across the 55-county disaster area in Texas and Louisiana, nearly one in 20 sites were out as of Tuesday, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

— todd shields, Bloomberg.com, "Harvey Knockout of Cell Service Revives Talk of Backup Power," 30 Aug. 2017
Nearly all hues of the rainbow are accounted for, gracing smiling skulls, glowing light fixtures, and a large board announcing the day’s drink specials.

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "El Mundo's 'controlled chaos' is worth the delicious wait | Review," 30 Aug. 2017
Mexico is one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists, and nearly all of those homicides remain unsolved.

— azam ahmed, New York Times, "A Scion of Mexico Fights Corruption, and Becomes a Target," 30 Aug. 2017
In the product’s description, the brand pokes fun of the nearly-naked feel of the jeans that are just one wardrobe malfunction short of full exposure.

— avery matera, Teen Vogue, "Reformation's Zipper Jeans Unzip Into Two Pieces," 30 Aug. 2017
Nearly all items will be accepted from nuts and bolts to old paints and pesticides, along with household goods and small appliances.

— susan demar lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Recyclepalooza event Sept. 9 in New Lenox," 30 Aug. 2017
An entire bay of Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company’s main station on Hickory Avenue was nearly full by noon Wednesday.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Donations pour in to Bel Air fire company for Harvey victims," 30 Aug. 2017
Yesterday, heated debate over Melania Trump’s travel attire nearly overshadowed the very purpose of her trip: to bear witness to the devastation of the Houston hurricane.

— rhonda garelick, The Cut, "Melania Trump and the Chilling Artifice of Fashion," 30 Aug. 2017
An arthritic knee kept the precinct committeewoman from a nearly five-block march on Broadway Monday evening to City Hall with some 150 people during the city's United Solidarity Rally and March.

— michelle l. quinn, Post-Tribune, "Gary march sends message of solidarity in fight against bigotry," 29 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nearly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of nearly

1561

nearly Synonyms

Synonyms

closely, near

Related Words

appreciably, by and large, chiefly, largely, mainly, mostly; kind of, partially, partly, somewhat

Near Antonyms

distantly, remotely

NEARLY Defined for English Language Learners

nearly

play

adverb

Definition of nearly for English Language Learners

: not completely : almost but not quite

NEARLY Defined for Kids

nearly

play

adverb near·ly \ ˈnir-lē \

Definition of nearly for Students

1 :in a close manner or relationship

They're nearly related.

2 :almost but not quite

We're nearly finished.

3 :to the least extent

It's not nearly enough.

Learn More about nearly

See words that rhyme with nearly Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for nearly Spanish Central: Translation of nearly Nglish: Translation of nearly for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of nearly for Arabic speakers

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