not nearly
idiom
: much less than : not at all
There's not nearly enough flour for a cake here.
It's not nearly as late as I thought it was.
Examples of not nearly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That's not nearly enough to avoid catastrophic warming, according to science from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
—
NPR, 22 Nov. 2025
But after going 38-26 during his initial run with the Silver and Black, his second stint was not nearly as effective, with Gruden going just 22-31 without a single playoff appearance.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Her secret relationship with Marissa's colleague Colin (Jay Ellis) is still present in Mara's novel, but not nearly as serious.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
And on your debts, the Fed’s moves may save you some money but not nearly as much as your taking advantage of other options.
—Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not nearly
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NPR, 22 Nov. 2025
But after going 38-26 during his initial run with the Silver and Black, his second stint was not nearly as effective, with Gruden going just 22-31 without a single playoff appearance.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Her secret relationship with Marissa's colleague Colin (Jay Ellis) is still present in Mara's novel, but not nearly as serious.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
And on your debts, the Fed’s moves may save you some money but not nearly as much as your taking advantage of other options.
—Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not nearly
Cite this Entry
“Not nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20nearly. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
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