How to Use nearly in a Sentence

nearly

adverb
Definition of nearlynext
Synonyms for nearlynext
  • We lived there for nearly two years.
  • Nearly all of us got sick that weekend.
  • I see her nearly every day.
  • At the end of the lane, trees sagging with plums nearly hide the tall house.
    — Nina Strochlic, Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2023
  • All the parts were nearly there, including half the lyrics.
    — Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 11 Mar. 2024
  • Since then, nearly 40 gun shops have joined the program.
    — Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2024
  • The steamer broke down, and harsh winds nearly pushed the two barges into their guide.
    — Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Mar. 2023
  • Or, at least, that’s the impression he’s given us over the course of nearly 15 years.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2024
  • Bring to a simmer and reduce until the pan is nearly dry.
    — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 28 Mar. 2023
  • Part 2: Rogers gets nearly to the infield before Melvin sees him.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
  • Overall height is down a tenth of an inch, the front track grows by 0.3 inch, and the rear track is nearly a full inch wider than before.
    — Andrew Krok, Car and Driver, 18 May 2023
  • Just on its own, Nolan’s epic grossed nearly $1 billion.
    — Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
  • With the tube and some mouth feeding – Ella is up to nearly double her birth weight at 15 pounds.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
  • In truth, the revenge scheme that nearly ended the life of Nicholas Ravenscroft started with Stephen.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
  • But that was nearly triple the rate at which new lane capacity was added.
    — Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 13 June 2023
  • The office is 177 square feet and nearly perfectly square in shape.
    — John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Jan. 2023
  • But after 17 years and nearly 20 seasons, her time to pack her knives and go has arrived.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2023
  • But on Saturday the Wildcats were in the driver’s seat nearly the entire game.
    — Ryan Black, The Courier-Journal, 4 Mar. 2023
  • Over the course of the long and brutal N.F.L. season, players’ feet and hands take a beating on nearly every snap.
    — Joe Drape, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2023
  • After nearly 80 years in business, this month, M&J will close its doors.
    — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2024
  • Devers hit a deep drive to straight away center that nearly went out.
    — Brendan McGair, ajc, 2 June 2023
  • Tupperware shares are still down nearly 30% year to date.
    — Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 31 July 2023
  • The whole process took nearly 10 minutes as a steady stream of family, friends and fans posed with Mabry, who was beaming.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2023
  • In the last nearly 25 years, Mandy Moore has grown up in Hollywood as her fans and audiences have grown along with her.
    — Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2023
  • Some stars, like Swift, got up and danced to nearly every performance.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2023
  • The Nasdaq composite index is up nearly 40% the past year.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024
  • The star was joined by his wife, Jennifer Lopez, who nearly stole the show in a neon number by Antonio Grimaldi.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2023
  • Tomatoes, cotton, cantaloupe and squash burst from the fields, part of the bounty that enables this valley to produce nearly half the fruits and nuts grown in the U.S.
    — Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2024
  • For vaccines, nearly every person should be able to access them for free, at least for the time being.
    — Julia Landwehr, Health, 2 Feb. 2023
  • While the cameras were rolling, Anderson taught the climbers about the importance of temperate rainforests (Tongass National Forest is the world’s largest at nearly 17 million acres) and took them salmon fishing.
    — Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 8 Nov. 2024

Some of 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.

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