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
The demand for green space among participants was nearly unanimous, and attendees were also broadly enthusiastic about building new businesses and housing.
—
Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024
In the past two presidential elections, the voting bloc has leaned consistently Democratic, with nearly 90% of Black voters in Milwaukee casting a ballot for the Democratic Party in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
—Steven Martinez, Journal Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2024
Or, at least, that’s the impression he’s given us over the course of nearly 15 years.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2024
The nearly 10-minute mini movie opens with Jackson running to the door of an underground club — where he’s blasted by a gust of white wind — before entering to silence as the clubgoers stare him down warily.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nearly 
Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024
In the past two presidential elections, the voting bloc has leaned consistently Democratic, with nearly 90% of Black voters in Milwaukee casting a ballot for the Democratic Party in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
—Steven Martinez, Journal Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2024
Or, at least, that’s the impression he’s given us over the course of nearly 15 years.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2024
The nearly 10-minute mini movie opens with Jackson running to the door of an underground club — where he’s blasted by a gust of white wind — before entering to silence as the clubgoers stare him down warily.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nearly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nearly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near nearly
Cite this Entry
“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nearly. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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