nearly

adverb

near·​ly ˈnir-lē How to pronounce nearly (audio)
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
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.
The Niners nearly doubled the overall offensive output of the Bucs. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024 Evans led by 2,596 votes as of 10:52 p.m., up nearly 400 votes from a few hours earlier in the evening. John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024 Of the 23 projects, our research shows that 13 appear to be on track, with total planned capital investments in excess of $40 billion and nearly 352 gigawatt-hours per year of capacity. James Morton Turner, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2024 The drive nearly ended a few plays earlier when Joe Burrow was picked off, but the potential interception was overturned to incomplete on replay. NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nearly 

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nearly was in 1561

Cite this Entry

“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nearly. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

nearly

adverb
near·​ly ˈni(ə)r-lē How to pronounce nearly (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on nearly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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