1
2
as in relative
being such only when compared to something else
the incessant busyness of the family next-door makes us look like we live in near retirement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in living
closely resembling the object imitated
the dress is made from a near silk that would fool anyone but an expert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in close
not being distant in time, space, or significance
the famous prediction that in the near future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in familiar
closely acquainted
only her nearest friends know she's pregnant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in in
at, within, or to a short distance or time
as the campers grew cold, so they gravitated nearer to the campfire as summer draws near, we usually start planning our annual vacation
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
as in almost
very close to but not completely
it's near six o'clock, so we should start preparing dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in approximately
close to but not exactly
it takes somewhere near an hour to get there
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to close
to come near or nearer
as the procession nears, you'll be able to take a better picture of the graduates
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of near
Masoud Popalzai, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
Skyridge Glamping For a couple’s getaway, the adults-only Skyridge Glamping near Kananaskis Village blends luxury with nature inside eco-cabins that bring the outdoors inside.
—Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2025
Justin Worland, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
How to Get There Arraial do Cabo is about a three-hour drive from Rio de Janeiro, where the nearest major airport is Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport (GIG), serving domestic and international flights.
—Aaron Randolph, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2025
Today, travelers come from near and far to take in this magnificent scene, as well as the jaw-dropping views from Lookout Mountain, the history of the destination, and a plethora of other interesting things to see and do.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2025
Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
When Rubenstein asked whether the massive market capitalizations of major tech firms, some nearing $5 trillion, signal a potential bubble, Solomon offered a historical perspective.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near
Preposition
Health officials put the early death toll at 12, with more than 250 people injured, in Samangan province, near the epicenter.
—Masoud Popalzai, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
Skyridge Glamping For a couple’s getaway, the adults-only Skyridge Glamping near Kananaskis Village blends luxury with nature inside eco-cabins that bring the outdoors inside.
—Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
And the global population of whales declined precipitously to the point of near extinction.
—Justin Worland, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
How to Get There Arraial do Cabo is about a three-hour drive from Rio de Janeiro, where the nearest major airport is Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport (GIG), serving domestic and international flights.
—Aaron Randolph, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
In situations of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a secure location, such as a nearby business's parking lot, to pull over and come to a stop.
—Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2025
Today, travelers come from near and far to take in this magnificent scene, as well as the jaw-dropping views from Lookout Mountain, the history of the destination, and a plethora of other interesting things to see and do.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
As Hurricane Melissa neared the Jamaican coast, winds in the spiraling wall of clouds around its eye gusted to almost unimaginable speeds.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
When Rubenstein asked whether the massive market capitalizations of major tech firms, some nearing $5 trillion, signal a potential bubble, Solomon offered a historical perspective.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near
Recent Examples of Synonyms for near
Preposition
-
In September, Vanity Fair wrote a story detailing new revelations around his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson’s correspondence with the disgraced financier.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Helm waits around for the skies to clear.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Even a relative newcomer, Curtis, opposes eliminating the filibuster.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The majority of these labels favor more classic designs, but relative newcomer Laopu — launched in 2016 — has disrupted the market, blending 24-karat gold and diamonds with silhouettes and patterns inspired by Chinese tradition.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Because these ultra-small devices are fused with living biological cells before injection, they are not rejected by the immune system and can cross the blood-brain barrier naturally, a key advantage over conventional implants that require invasive access.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
-
There’s a wonderful chapter in which an older woman extolls a younger one to tell a painful story not with words, but with movements, so as to expel her pain without enlisting narrative’s power to summon, and thus force a re-living, of painful events.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump levied his greatest assault against the international economic order, announcing the most expansive set of tariffs in American history on both autocratic adversaries and America’s closest democratic allies in April 2025 (Russia was strikingly excluded).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Trump, however, made inroads with New Jersey voters in November 2024, making for a surprisingly close race.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Here, Hunter returns to a familiar figure in Stock’s Ethan, a writer who made it out of small-town Idaho for college and then a life in Seattle, but whose career is flagging and bank account is running dry.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
-
But those who’ve watched the Blackhawks on a nightly basis know Spencer Knight has been masking some familiar defensive deficiencies.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Moths can also fly in through open windows and doors or find their way inside after invading bird nests in chimneys.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Mitch Trubisky, Josh Allen, Khalil Shakir and Terrel Bernard took a moment to pose in together.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
In other words, investors might bail on companies such as Nvidia, Oracle, and CoreWeave, whose fates are deemed too closely tied up with OpenAI’s.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Limited partners — the fund investors — are also scrutinizing managers more closely than ever, demanding stronger performance and tighter governance.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Cuomo’s desperate campaign — almost certainly his last — tried to knit together a coalition of Republicans, independents, and Democrats worried that a socialist mayor would wreck their city and their party.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Filler shots of chauffeurs, champagne and colossal walk-in closets with pristine designer clobber glistening and gleaming from glass shelves centred around trays and trays of priceless jewels assault the viewer’s senses between almost every scene.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/near. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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