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
On Saturday night, Hegseth sent a memo to the head of the California Guard to mobilize nearly 2,000 members.
—
Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Its life span is only a few weeks, but in that time one female can produce nearly a hundred offspring, peppering sorghum plants with larvae that look like sawdust and suck nutrients from the leaves, stunting the plants.
—Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Since the 2022 merger, WBD’s share price has fallen nearly 60%.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 June 2025
Travel restrictions, including suspensions, will be placed on those from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Of the nearly 1.7 million visas issued to people from those countries between 2014 and 2023, almost half were from Venezuela.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 8 June 2025
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Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Its life span is only a few weeks, but in that time one female can produce nearly a hundred offspring, peppering sorghum plants with larvae that look like sawdust and suck nutrients from the leaves, stunting the plants.
—Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Since the 2022 merger, WBD’s share price has fallen nearly 60%.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 June 2025
Travel restrictions, including suspensions, will be placed on those from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Of the nearly 1.7 million visas issued to people from those countries between 2014 and 2023, almost half were from Venezuela.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 8 June 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 12 Jun. 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
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