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
Indiana's state government is entirely controlled by Republicans, and its major population centers are not nearly populous enough to overtake the representation rural communities have in the state legislature.
—
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
That’s true in theory, but not nearly as true in practice precisely because majoritarianism logically can’t be about the peaceful transfer of power when so many important decisions are being made by majorities.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
The Red Sox enter Saturday in fourth place in the American League East, but not nearly removed from a playoff spot, only three games back of the final wild card slot.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
The company has a fleet of 7,000, which may sound like a lot, but is still not nearly enough to keep up with demand.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for not nearly
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Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
That’s true in theory, but not nearly as true in practice precisely because majoritarianism logically can’t be about the peaceful transfer of power when so many important decisions are being made by majorities.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
The Red Sox enter Saturday in fourth place in the American League East, but not nearly removed from a playoff spot, only three games back of the final wild card slot.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
The company has a fleet of 7,000, which may sound like a lot, but is still not nearly enough to keep up with demand.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 4 July 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 25 Jul. 2025.
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