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
Trump nominated Warsh in late January, following a lengthy search process that included nearly a dozen candidates.
—
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Lola also shared an insight into just how close her mom and Muldoon, who dated on and off for nearly five years in the '90s, were.
—Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
The Knicks were dreadful in nearly every facet of the loss, but none more critical than at the free-throw line (New York went 17-for-27), first-half turnovers (the Knicks had eight) and poor 3-point shooting (New York hit just 11 of 34).
—Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Rookie center Dominic James, who appeared to re-injure his right leg, an issue that shelved him for nearly seven weeks, early in Game 1, was a full participant in practice.
—Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nearly
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Jeff Cox, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Lola also shared an insight into just how close her mom and Muldoon, who dated on and off for nearly five years in the '90s, were.
—Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
The Knicks were dreadful in nearly every facet of the loss, but none more critical than at the free-throw line (New York went 17-for-27), first-half turnovers (the Knicks had eight) and poor 3-point shooting (New York hit just 11 of 34).
—Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Rookie center Dominic James, who appeared to re-injure his right leg, an issue that shelved him for nearly seven weeks, early in Game 1, was a full participant in practice.
—Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 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 Apr. 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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