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
According to the Anti-Defamation League, there were nearly 9,000 antisemitic incidents in 2023, a rise of nearly 140% over the previous year.
—
USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024
On one recent record-setting night, DESI was able to record the locations of nearly 200,000 galaxies.
—Charlie Wood, WIRED, 28 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nearly 
USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024
On one recent record-setting night, DESI was able to record the locations of nearly 200,000 galaxies.
—Charlie Wood, WIRED, 28 Apr. 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 3 May. 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
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