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 total was nearly identical in 2016 when 35,999 voters showed up to the polls on day one.
—
Ella McCarthy, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Smollett has remained committed to clearing his name in the nearly six years since his arrest.
—Megan Thomas, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
Millennials are nearly twice as likely as Gen-X to have student loans and Gen-Z is six times more likely than Baby Boomers to carry this debt.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
The nearly $6 billion battery park in Glendale is expected to start production at Kentucky 1, one of the two battery plant facilities at the park, next year.
—Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 21 Nov. 2024
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.
Ella McCarthy, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Smollett has remained committed to clearing his name in the nearly six years since his arrest.
—Megan Thomas, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
Millennials are nearly twice as likely as Gen-X to have student loans and Gen-Z is six times more likely than Baby Boomers to carry this debt.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
The nearly $6 billion battery park in Glendale is expected to start production at Kentucky 1, one of the two battery plant facilities at the park, next year.
—Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nearly
Dictionary Entries Near nearly
Cite this Entry
“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nearly. Accessed 30 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