near beer

noun

: any of various malt liquors considered nonalcoholic because they contain less than a specified percentage of alcohol

Examples of near beer in a Sentence

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.
Another contributing factor could be the rise in near beer. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Feb. 2025 Others claim that the brute was named either for a popular near beer or for a Sunday comic strip about monkeys. — Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 17 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of near beer was in 1909

Rhymes for near beer

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near beer
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Cite this Entry

“Near beer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near%20beer. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

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