near 1 of 4

near

2 of 4

adjective

1
as in closer
being the less far of two grab the comforter from the near side of the bed and fold it in half

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in relative
being such only when compared to something else the incessant busyness of the family next-door makes us look like we live in near retirement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
5

near

3 of 4

adverb

1
as in in
at, within, or to a short distance or time as the campers grew cold, so they gravitated nearer to the campfire as summer draws near, we usually start planning our annual vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in closely
to a close degree copy the artist's drawing into your own sketchbook as near as you can

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4

near

4 of 4

verb

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of near
Preposition
People are seen riding a chairlift as skiers and snowboarders pass below at Red Lodge Mountain, Feb. 20, 2023, near Red Lodge, Mont. CBS News, 13 Mar. 2025 As of now, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) can afford to lose two Republicans, requiring near unanimity from his conference. Lauren Green, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
The nearest properties abutting the project are 124 feet away from its development site, making any potential fires threatening to local property and safety, according to officials. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2025 But among the world’s democracies, the United States has a near—but not total—monopoly on the best surface-to-air missiles and their supporting launchers and radars. David Axe, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
Adverb
That’ll do, especially since Soderstrom is going near pick 300. Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025 Both 2023 and 2024 shattered previous temperature records, hovering near or above 1.5 Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the Earth's temperature in the late 1800s, a time before humans began burning vast amounts of fossil fuels that have inexorably heated up the planet. Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
The latest tariff back-and-forth continued to batter stocks Tuesday, and the benchmark S&P 500 is nearing a correction, falling 9.3% from its all-time high in late February. Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 However, the two-year deadline given to the Ministry of Labor, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Commerce, is nearing expiration, and there has been little progress in designing the employability policy. Nathaly Triana, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for near
Recent Examples of Synonyms for near
Preposition
  • Tax Day is just around the corner—and statistics suggest that taxpayers are not excited about filing their tax returns this tax filing season.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Frosinone was Barrenechea’s fourth club in as many years, having joined Sion in Switzerland in a deal worth around €3million from Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina in 2019.
    Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Investopedia gave the town nods for for its relative proximity to hospitals and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
    Simone Jasper, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The 10 individuals initially arrested in September 2017, which included four college assistant coaches, were all relative bit players in the ecosystem.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Carter was a living example of the struggle to end war and suffering around the world and to promote peace, justice and human rights.
    Storer H. Rowley, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2025
  • As scientists gather more examples, the pair’s private hand-on-eye code remains a poignant reminder of how similar chimpanzees are to their closest living relatives.
    Brandon Keim, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Many close followers of Barca have remarked on how players seem to understand what the coach wants of them perfectly, which had not always been the case in previous seasons.
    Laia Cervelló Herrero, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The police initially try to write the deaths off as overdoses, but Mickey’s tenacity and persistence force the department to take a closer look.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The idea is both familiar and transformative: public fridges, placed in neighborhoods, stocked by the people, for the people—no questions asked.
    The Glamour editors, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Whatever the club’s reasoning, there was something familiar and troubling about this disappointing deadline paralysis.
    Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Adverb
  • The entire room joined in, singing and later sharing our favorite Girl Scout camp songs with silly gestures and dance moves.
    Ale Delgado, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The ability to play like a tournament team is in there.
    Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025
Adverb
  • The pillars of the massive pier have formed artificial vertical reefs underwater, and diving here almost feels like entering a science fiction world, with alien-like tree formations and coral growths blossoming out from the supports.
    Erik Trinidad, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025
  • In terms of materials, Brown describes their creation as a result of her early success, pointing to 2002’s Figures in a Landscape 2, her six-foot by almost seven-foot painting that sends you back to one of Fragonard’s forest glens, with the female in the gaze of the lurking male.
    Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2025
Adverb
  • To estimate the distance, Harris said 20 feet equals approximately one and a half lengths of an average car.
    Steven Mihailovich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Under the Eisenhower administration, Walsh estimates Air Force One flew approximately 308,402 total miles.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/near. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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