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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
Still, from the March 2024 primary through the end of that year, state records showed his Friends of Don Harmon for State Senate campaign committee collected more than $8.3 million, nearly half of which the state board has now said was over the campaign contribution limits.
—
Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images January 6 Capitol Riot Defendants On his inauguration day, January 20, 2025, Trump granted full pardons to nearly everyone charged with offenses related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, totaling approximately 1,500 individuals.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Noble Corp — Shares of the offshore drilling contractor gained nearly 2% after a JPMorgan upgrade to overweight from neutral.
—Brian Evans, CNBC, 28 May 2025
When Kimmel noted that the film got a nearly 9-minute ovation at its Cannes Film Festival debut, Bono, despite being one of the world’s biggest rock stars, admitted to feeling a sense of imposter syndrome while walking the red carpet at the glamorous French film fête.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images January 6 Capitol Riot Defendants On his inauguration day, January 20, 2025, Trump granted full pardons to nearly everyone charged with offenses related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, totaling approximately 1,500 individuals.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Noble Corp — Shares of the offshore drilling contractor gained nearly 2% after a JPMorgan upgrade to overweight from neutral.
—Brian Evans, CNBC, 28 May 2025
When Kimmel noted that the film got a nearly 9-minute ovation at its Cannes Film Festival debut, Bono, despite being one of the world’s biggest rock stars, admitted to feeling a sense of imposter syndrome while walking the red carpet at the glamorous French film fête.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nearly
Adverb
-
Berg had invented the family sitcom, almost single-handedly, on the cusp of the Great Depression, then translated it for the small screen; Ball had turned the genre into a juggernaut, helped shift the format’s production to Los Angeles, and innovated the rerun and the three-camera method.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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Some real locations are almost literally depicted in the film.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
9 June 2025
Adverb
-
In other words, this is quantum supremacy: the point where a quantum computer can perform a calculation that is practically impossible for any classical computer to do in a reasonable amount of time.—
John Koetsier,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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This vintage dessert practically floats off the plate.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nearly. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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