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
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Nov. 2025
Police are investigating a homicide after a body was found near a heavily trafficked area of a Nevada County park.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 9 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
Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
The actress and comedian almost singlehandedly revived the Golden Globes telecast last year with a hosting gig that did the near-impossible feat of pleasing a room full of A-listers and seemingly everyone who watched on TV.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026
Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Whether the league can keep up with the next star player who nears the end of her contract, though, is still an open question.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for near
Preposition
The injured man told them that a female friend had taken his truck and sold it to a man at a game room near East Berry Street and South Riverside Drive, police said.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Nov. 2025
Police are investigating a homicide after a body was found near a heavily trafficked area of a Nevada County park.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 9 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
The Olympic medalist made a triumphant return to the mat for her senior year at UCLA — and opened the NCAA gymnastics season with a near-perfect performance seemingly inspired by her time on Dancing with the Stars.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
The actress and comedian almost singlehandedly revived the Golden Globes telecast last year with a hosting gig that did the near-impossible feat of pleasing a room full of A-listers and seemingly everyone who watched on TV.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
Williams and Tatum's trip to Costa Rica at the top of the year comes as their relationship nears the one-year mark.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Whether the league can keep up with the next star player who nears the end of her contract, though, is still an open question.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for near
Recent Examples of Synonyms for near
Preposition
-
The moderates had expected a larger number of Democrats to vote with them as around 10-12 Democratic senators had been part of the negotiations.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Director Michael Arden, meanwhile, is up to his elbows just moving the cumbersome Legos of Dane Laffrey’s set around.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In that sense, shortages on the Colorado River will have a small relative impact on Queen Creek — likely bringing about three years of higher water rates for residents — but the town is still far from a long-term renewable water supply that can meet its growth potential.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The incredible women in the comments reminded me [that] beauty is relative.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 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
-
Traffic concerns remained a prominent theme of the more than 100 emails the city received in early December, but many people expressed excitement at the prospect of a closer Costco.—
Rose Evans
January 8,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Clippers raced to a 14-5 lead, but the Knicks answered with eight straight points and the game was close for the first three quarters.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
With spoofing tools, criminals can mimic real bank phone numbers and even use AI to reproduce familiar voices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The common ingredients are incredible storytellers who are excited about trying to make a series that feels authentic and realistic, and maybe feels familiar, but in a way that also feels elevated and sophisticated.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Childs, who flew in from Atlanta, said her flight was delayed due to aircraft issues.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
As for the skirt, the silhouette was breezy and looked to be easy to move around in.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Soon, TikTok users were tracking the situation closely, rooting not just for the net to be repaired — but for Phillips’ party to go on as planned.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The new moves — essentially enrolling merchants in Amazon’s store, in some cases without their knowledge — appears unprecedented, said Juozas Kaziukėnas, an independent analyst who closely tracks Amazon’s marketplace.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Sure, the Hurricanes beat the world when Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson coached there, but that was almost two generations ago.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Larssen told the Ledger-Transcript that for part of the slide, the SUV was almost t-boned until Martin, who drove the vehicle, was able to pull out.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/near. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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