not nearly

phrase

: much less than : not at all
There's not nearly enough flour for a cake here.
It's not nearly as late as I thought it was.

Examples of not nearly 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.
Located just south of Yellowstone, this park is often overlooked and is not nearly as accessible as its neighbor. — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026 Just weeks ago in Chicago, one of us treated a heatstroke patient in an emergency department — notably on a day not nearly as sweltering as the heat wave hitting our city this week. — Chuka Onuh, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026 Zendaya may play the all-knowing goddess Athena in Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation of The Odyssey, but the actress was not nearly so omniscient about her casting in the film. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 6 July 2026 Rutinel, who is 31, is not nearly as far left as Kiros or Darializa Avila Chevalier, the candidate who toppled Espaillat, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, last week in New York City. — Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026

Rhymes for not nearly

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Browse Nearby Words

not much to look at
not nearly
not necessarily
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Cite this Entry

“Not nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20nearly. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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