1
2
as in relative
being such only when compared to something else
the incessant busyness of the family next-door makes us look like we live in near retirement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in living
closely resembling the object imitated
the dress is made from a near silk that would fool anyone but an expert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in close
not being distant in time, space, or significance
the famous prediction that in the near future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in familiar
closely acquainted
only her nearest friends know she's pregnant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in in
at, within, or to a short distance or time
as the campers grew cold, so they gravitated nearer to the campfire as summer draws near, we usually start planning our annual vacation
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
as in almost
very close to but not completely
it's near six o'clock, so we should start preparing dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in approximately
close to but not exactly
it takes somewhere near an hour to get there
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to close
to come near or nearer
as the procession nears, you'll be able to take a better picture of the graduates
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of near
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Masked country star Orville Peck performed a free outdoor concert during the South by Southwest festival on a stage set up in the middle of Congress Avenue near the Texas Capitol in Austin.
—Staff Photographer, Austin American Statesman, 15 Mar. 2026
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
Big Deal Will the humanoid robot population proliferate in the near future?
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026
All four of us heard gobbles near and far before the sun rose and throughout the morning.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Wastewater treatment is already expensive, and communities’ existing plants may be nearing capacity.
—Ahmed Ibrahim Yunus, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for near
Preposition
Another growth achievement came in 2008, when the Playhouse purchased several condominiums near campus to house visiting artists.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Masked country star Orville Peck performed a free outdoor concert during the South by Southwest festival on a stage set up in the middle of Congress Avenue near the Texas Capitol in Austin.
—Staff Photographer, Austin American Statesman, 15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Now tested by a near fatal disease, Gammons continues his pursuit — revealing the personal cost of chasing nature at its most extreme and the larger environmental forces shaping our world.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
Big Deal Will the humanoid robot population proliferate in the near future?
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
Adverb
Investors can only hope the Groq transaction ends up being anywhere near as successful as Mellanox.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026
All four of us heard gobbles near and far before the sun rose and throughout the morning.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
And Feige, who graduated in 1995, is among the biggest donors and boosters of the school, which is nearing its centennial.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Wastewater treatment is already expensive, and communities’ existing plants may be nearing capacity.
—Ahmed Ibrahim Yunus, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for near
Recent Examples of Synonyms for near
Preposition
-
Share credit, set boundaries around your time and money, and keep things grounded with an open list of your goals.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
-
In its base-case scenario, disruptions to flows through the Strait of Hormuz over the next four to six weeks could remove as much as 11 million to 16 million barrels per day from the market, pushing Brent crude to around $110 to $120 a barrel.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Maiduguri has been at the heart of deadly violence in Nigeria in the past, but has experienced relative peace in recent years, even as the countryside is often battered by extremists.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
-
In choosing Rosenberg, OU not only spent heavily but entrusted the process of replacing long-time AD Joe Castiglione to a relative newcomer in the field.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Today, the shuttered community center is a modern co-living apartment boasting a theater and fitness space.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Now, scientists have created a highly efficient AI model that hints at how living brains are able to do so much with so little, a team reports in the journal Nature.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With all that noted for context, here’s a closer look at the bottom line of the film businesses of Hollywood titans during the calendar year 2025.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Prager was deeply interested in the intricacies of the growing process, as well, sometimes spending weeks in the Colombian mountains living with the indigenous tribes that grew his weed and becoming close friends with his Colombian contacts that moved the product onto his boats.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Kaplan has represented District 1 since 2022, but is a familiar name in local politics.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Nearly every cinematic space voyage, however far flung, brushes up against familiar terrain.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Aztecs fans, getting a workout in, stood and clapped for the entire drought.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Netflix’s live-action One Piece is deep into production on Season 3, with the beloved Arabasta arc taking center stage, a wave of new casting locked in, and stars teasing a darker, more mature tone ahead.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The filmmakers are working closely with Kilmer’s estate.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
-
So far, strategies tied closely to stocks have been hit the hardest.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
And nearly every business, supply chain expert, and economist who examined the data concluded that the costs fell almost entirely on American firms and consumers, not on foreign exporters.—
Jay Caruso,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
One poll this week found that almost half of Americans blame Trump for more expensive gas, even as the president rolls out a host of new proposals to keep oil flowing worldwide.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/near. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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