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
But many health experts say that’s not nearly enough.
—
Selina Wang, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2025
Inman Grant’s job is not nearly done.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Naturally, the everyday person is not nearly as successful as an NFL player.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2025
This is not nearly as good a shooting team, but could be better defensively with players like Mark, Heide, Wilcher and Weaver, who have all played for elite defensive teams in the past.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not nearly
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Selina Wang, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2025
Inman Grant’s job is not nearly done.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Naturally, the everyday person is not nearly as successful as an NFL player.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2025
This is not nearly as good a shooting team, but could be better defensively with players like Mark, Heide, Wilcher and Weaver, who have all played for elite defensive teams in the past.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 2 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 16 Oct. 2025.
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