1
: in a close manner or relationship
nearly related
2
a
: almost but not quite
nearly identical
nearly a year later
b
: to the least extent
not nearly as good as we expected
Examples of nearly in a Sentence
I see her nearly every day.
We lived there for nearly two years.
Nearly all of us got sick that weekend.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mapping shallow waters with this level of precision used to be nearly impossible, but now, scientists, conservationists and planners have a powerful new tool at their fingertips.
—
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Famously owned by the actor and musician for almost a decade until 2001, when the place traded hands for around $2.2 million, records show the property was last sold to politician Justin Aguilera and his beauty entrepreneur wife Candace in 2020 for nearly $3 million.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2025
Maybe a once nearly extinct fish will end up preserving a minor league baseball team.
—Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2025
The organization pointed out in its statement that, according to the Russian government’s own reporting, over 1.2 million Russians were living with HIV in 2024, and nearly half a million of those people had not received medical treatment.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Famously owned by the actor and musician for almost a decade until 2001, when the place traded hands for around $2.2 million, records show the property was last sold to politician Justin Aguilera and his beauty entrepreneur wife Candace in 2020 for nearly $3 million.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2025
Maybe a once nearly extinct fish will end up preserving a minor league baseball team.
—Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2025
The organization pointed out in its statement that, according to the Russian government’s own reporting, over 1.2 million Russians were living with HIV in 2024, and nearly half a million of those people had not received medical treatment.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Cite this Entry
“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nearly. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nearly
adverb
near·ly
ˈni(ə)r-lē 
1
: in a close manner or relationship
nearly related
2
: almost but not quite
nearly the same
nearly missed the train
3
: to the least extent
not nearly enough
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share