: close to
beaches near the city
seemed to be near death
1
a
: not far distant in time, place, or degree
in the near future
b
: almost happening : narrowly missed or avoided
a near win in the primary
a near midair collision
c
: nearly not happening
a near escape
2
: closely related or intimately associated
her nearest and dearest friend
3
a
: being the closer of two
the near side
b
: being the left-hand one of a pair
the near wheel of a cart
5
6
a
: closely resembling the standard or typical
a near desert
b
: approximating the genuine
near silk
nearness
noun
Examples of near in a Sentence
Adverb
The plant was near dead when I got it.
as the campers grew cold, so they gravitated nearer to the campfire
Preposition
I left the box near the door.
The cat won't go near fire.
There are several beaches near here.
She came home near midnight.
We feared he was near death.
Adjective
The nearest grocery store is three blocks away.
The near side headlight is out.
Verb
As the date of the performance neared, we grew more and more anxious.
He always cheers up when baseball season nears.
The airplane began to descend as it neared the island.
He must be nearing 80 years of age.
The negotiators were nearing a decision.
Recent Examples on the Web
Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
By early next week, the storm is expected to move near or just south of Jamaica.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Authorities found a body Thursday in a field west of Middlebury in Cornwall near The Knoll, the college’s organic farm, state police said.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
Amid the skirmishes that ensued, federal agents fired a chemical agent toward a protester at near-point-blank range, and security personnel later opened fire on a U-Haul truck that had backed up toward a barrier on the island’s bridge, injuring the driver and an apparent bystander.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
In exclusive comments to Newsweek, Bishop John Persaud—Apostolic Administrator of Montego Bay and Bishop of Mandeville—outlined the urgent humanitarian needs facing Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa nears landfall.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near
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show current usage.
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Adverb
Plenty of places near and far to the launch site should provide a view.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
By early next week, the storm is expected to move near or just south of Jamaica.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Preposition
Investigators believe a river rock found near the shattered glass was used to break the window, Enriquez added.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Authorities found a body Thursday in a field west of Middlebury in Cornwall near The Knoll, the college’s organic farm, state police said.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Her visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which its nearest neighbors see as an homage to Japan’s past wartime aggressions, have also angered both of those nations.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
Amid the skirmishes that ensued, federal agents fired a chemical agent toward a protester at near-point-blank range, and security personnel later opened fire on a U-Haul truck that had backed up toward a barrier on the island’s bridge, injuring the driver and an apparent bystander.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
As the views kept climbing and the clip neared one million views, Natasha decided to record her dad’s reaction.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
In exclusive comments to Newsweek, Bishop John Persaud—Apostolic Administrator of Montego Bay and Bishop of Mandeville—outlined the urgent humanitarian needs facing Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa nears landfall.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near
Cite this Entry
“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
near
1 of 4 adverb1
: at, within, or to a short distance or time
night was drawing near
2
: in a condition or state resembling or close to : almost
near dead
3
: nearly sense 1
near related
near
2 of 4 preposition(ˈ)ni(ə)r
: close to
standing near the door
near
3 of 4 adjectiveˈni(ə)r
1
: closely related or associated
her nearest and dearest friend
2
a
: not far away
the near future
b
: barely avoided
a near disaster
c
: almost not happening
a near victory
3
: being the closer of two
the near side of a hill
4
: direct entry 2 sense 1, short
the nearest route
5
: closely resembling a model or a genuine example
near silk
nearness
noun
near
4 of 4 verbˈni(ə)r
: to come near : approach
the ship was nearing the dock
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