next to

1 of 2

preposition

1
: immediately following or adjacent to
2
: in comparison to
next to you I'm wealthy

next to

2 of 2

adverb

: very nearly : almost
it was next to impossible to see in the fog

Examples of next to in a Sentence

Preposition enjoys living next to the ocean next to the war, the flagging economy was the biggest campaign issue Adverb bought it for next to nothing
Recent Examples on the Web
Preposition
There’s a copy of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and of Gertrude Stein’s Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas poised on the coffee table in front of us next to her reading glasses. Emily Maddick, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2024 One attack took out a floor in an apartment building next to the city’s Cola intersection, a major transportation hub in central Beirut, marking the first time a location within the capital’s limits has been hit in nearly a year of conflict. Allegra Goodwin, CNN, 30 Sep. 2024
Adverb
The left winglet of a Boeing 757 clipped the horizontal stabilizer of an empty Delta Air Lines Bombardier CRJ-900 that was parked next to it, the FAA said. Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Mar. 2023 Mulaney crouches next to his son, who is wearing a red and gray striped onesie. Georgia Slater, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2023 See all Example Sentences for next to 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'next to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Preposition

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1596, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of next to was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near next to

Cite this Entry

“Next to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/next%20to. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

next to

1 of 2 preposition
: immediately following : being close to
next to the head of her class

next to

2 of 2 adverb
: very nearly : almost

More from Merriam-Webster on next to

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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