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
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images January 6 Capitol Riot Defendants On his inauguration day, January 20, 2025, Trump granted full pardons to nearly everyone charged with offenses related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, totaling approximately 1,500 individuals.
—
Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Noble Corp — Shares of the offshore drilling contractor gained nearly 2% after a JPMorgan upgrade to overweight from neutral.
—Brian Evans, CNBC, 28 May 2025
When Kimmel noted that the film got a nearly 9-minute ovation at its Cannes Film Festival debut, Bono, despite being one of the world’s biggest rock stars, admitted to feeling a sense of imposter syndrome while walking the red carpet at the glamorous French film fête.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 28 May 2025
The 79-year-old is one of nearly 3 million Floridians who receive benefits from SNAP, a government program launched in 1939 that has since become the principal source of food assistance for lower-income Americans.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
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.
Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Noble Corp — Shares of the offshore drilling contractor gained nearly 2% after a JPMorgan upgrade to overweight from neutral.
—Brian Evans, CNBC, 28 May 2025
When Kimmel noted that the film got a nearly 9-minute ovation at its Cannes Film Festival debut, Bono, despite being one of the world’s biggest rock stars, admitted to feeling a sense of imposter syndrome while walking the red carpet at the glamorous French film fête.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 28 May 2025
The 79-year-old is one of nearly 3 million Floridians who receive benefits from SNAP, a government program launched in 1939 that has since become the principal source of food assistance for lower-income Americans.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nearly
Cite this Entry
“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nearly. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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