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as in almost
very close to but not completely
I nearly fell down the stairs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nearly
In 1816 the stratosphere was saturated with Tambora’s dust, and sea ice nearly wrecked Scoresby’s ship off the eastern coast of Greenland.
—
Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Since 2010, several quilt guilds across the nation have donated nearly 200 quilts to volunteers in various aging brain studies at UCSD.
—Barbara Bry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
The Boston Red Sox's infield for next season remains up in the air with question marks at nearly every position.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
They would be married for nearly 70 years until Felicitas Jimenez’s death at 90 in January 2018.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Since 2010, several quilt guilds across the nation have donated nearly 200 quilts to volunteers in various aging brain studies at UCSD.
—Barbara Bry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
The Boston Red Sox's infield for next season remains up in the air with question marks at nearly every position.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
They would be married for nearly 70 years until Felicitas Jimenez’s death at 90 in January 2018.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nearly
Adverb
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The scientific case for exploration dates back many millions of years to continental drift when Greenland was believed to be closely connected to Norway and the British Isles.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
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After the Supreme Court ruling, Holt said, the department changed its grooming policy to allow closely cropped beards.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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The Dancing With the Stars judging panel almost got through Wicked night without flying off the handle.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
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In September, a 130-unit building in Chicago’s South Shore was raided, with almost every one of the building’s residents — even children — being detained.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Recreate Witherspoon’s rich monochromatic look with these burgundy pants that are practically begging to be worn during holiday gatherings.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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With such a wide array of benefits and potential savings, an Amazon Prime membership will practically pay for itself.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nearly. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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