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2
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
The ports handle nearly 40% of Panama’s container traffic and employ 7,000 workers, making the dispute critical to global shipping and local livelihoods.
—
Alma Solís, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
In large cage experiments simulating natural populations, the gene drive spread to nearly 100% of mosquitoes and caused complete population collapse within 7 to 11 generations.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 27 Feb. 2026
In 2012, Ballard guided the Wildcats to their first NAIA national tournament appearance in nearly two decades.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2026
Meta, meanwhile, has tumbled nearly 13% in the past six months.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Alma Solís, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
In large cage experiments simulating natural populations, the gene drive spread to nearly 100% of mosquitoes and caused complete population collapse within 7 to 11 generations.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 27 Feb. 2026
In 2012, Ballard guided the Wildcats to their first NAIA national tournament appearance in nearly two decades.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2026
Meta, meanwhile, has tumbled nearly 13% in the past six months.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nearly
Adverb
-
While the victim is retrieving the money, a second suspect quickly removes the ATM card from the machine and replaces it with a counterfeit card that closely resembles the original.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2026
-
According to Elo-Rivera’s office, the single largest concentration of unoccupied homes is in downtown San Diego, with 792, followed closely behind by La Jolla, with 751.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Campaigning began almost immediately after the announcement, with major commercial news outlets showing political advertising for the Social Democrats, while supporters of the populist anti-immigration Danish People's party began leafleting in parliament in Copenhagen.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Even with the game result finalized at this point, the anticipation to see how Maura would react to Rob’s betrayal was almost sky high, and the result matched the moment.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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While the idea is supported by other candidates, the Peotone plan has been discussed for decades and has gone practically nowhere.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Down below, the brick basement — once scratch storage — has been reshaped as a speakeasy‑style hangout with a tiki bar and pool table, the kind of low‑ceilinged space that practically demands blues or bluegrass, Daniel said.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nearly. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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