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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
At 6-3 and 289 pounds, Ester is lighter than nearly all NFL guards.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
Joby's stock has lost nearly 7% in 2026 following a 60% run up last year.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Destefani said that detainees were still complaining about being served expired or nearly expired food and that, as a result, did not want to eat.
—Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 29 May 2026
That is nearly the same as last month's rating from this pollster.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
Joby's stock has lost nearly 7% in 2026 following a 60% run up last year.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Destefani said that detainees were still complaining about being served expired or nearly expired food and that, as a result, did not want to eat.
—Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 29 May 2026
That is nearly the same as last month's rating from this pollster.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nearly
Adverb
-
The group closely manages its propaganda and marketing with several guides that members must strictly adhere to.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
But there have been a surge of cases in South America that public health experts and the USDA have been watching closely.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Adverb
-
Canfield, as proven by her work in Stereophonic, is extremely able at playing a character with a pristine, almost porcelain surface and roiling depths.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
5 June 2026
-
More than 160 million people around the world played some form of golf in 2025, marking an almost 50% rise from 2023.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
Adverb
-
After a pair of curveballs missed up in the zone, Rathbun laced a fastball that practically dented the right field wall.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
That level of dominance in both chances and results is practically unprecedented in the analytics era.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nearly. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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