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
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.
Preposition
The canine tried communicating that a cat was staring at her from the car parked next to them. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 When one of the Dark Hearts is about to shoot at Lizzie, Grasso fires the gun right next to her ear, which causes her world to go silent. Leia Mendoza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Adverb
Fuel up in the morning with a traditional Scottish breakfast, then sip whiskey on the chesterfield sofas next to the fire after a day romping around Edinburgh. Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025 Their seven-song debut EP cover features an adorable Mads in a vest, white shirt and drawn-on goatee and mustache, with dad right next to him in a tank top and long blonde wig. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for next to

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Next to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/next%20to. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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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