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
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Recent Examples of near
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2025
One aspect that didn’t change was the scarcity of parking near the stadium.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2025
The leaves will be reaching near-peak conditions Up North and most of the Upper Peninsula during this week.
—Elissa Robinson, Freep.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Now near-constant phone usage makes this idea of mental and emotional escape almost comical.
—Allison Lax, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2025
Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2025
The pursuit of a third goaltender had created a major stress point as the start of training camp neared.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near
Preposition
YouTuber Mark Rumsey recently piloted the Mirocopter SCH-2A from La Cresta, a quiet hilltop neighborhood near Murrieta, California, on a short trip to Lake Elsinore.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2025
One aspect that didn’t change was the scarcity of parking near the stadium.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
After a near-fatal experience, Kaif began seeing both stories and silences differently.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2025
The leaves will be reaching near-peak conditions Up North and most of the Upper Peninsula during this week.
—Elissa Robinson, Freep.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Adverb
But as the supercontinent finally splintered apart around 200 million years ago and the near-endless age of dinosaurs found its groove, the planet recovered to conditions more hospitable to animal life.
—Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Now near-constant phone usage makes this idea of mental and emotional escape almost comical.
—Allison Lax, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
Soon after, a federal bankruptcy court held up the sale, leading to months of legal back-and-forth that may be nearing an end in The Onion's favor after a ruling last month by a state judge in Texas that placed Infowars in the custody of a state receiver directed to sell it.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2025
The pursuit of a third goaltender had created a major stress point as the start of training camp neared.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near
Recent Examples of Synonyms for near
Preposition
-
The team crowded around Johnson and offered hugs with celebratory cheers, shaking him around as Johnson got a bright smile on his face.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Sep. 2025
-
No new platform has benefited more from this friction than Substack, which has nearly doubled its number of paying subscribers in the last year alone, from around 3 million to more than 5 million.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
How impressive a comeback Don’t Believe The Truth was in 2005 after the relative disappointment of 2002’s Heathen Chemistry has no bearing on why Oasis’s reunion tour is this year’s hottest ticket.—
Jesse Adams,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Luzzatto said the relative shortness of that term is scaring away capital.—
Matthew Geiger,
Denver Post,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Together with previous finds, the new fossils demonstrate that at least four lineages of hominins (creatures more closely related to us than to our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees and bonobos) lived in eastern Africa between three million and 2.5 million years ago.—
Kate Wong,
Scientific American,
13 Aug. 2025
-
So, is this a case where a living organism transformed into a non-living state by evolutionary pressures?—
Dirk Schulze-Makuch,
Big Think,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
He was acquired, along with closer Victor Vodnik, in a July 2023 trade with the Braves for reliever Pierce Johnson.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
17 Sep. 2025
-
In the last fortnight alone, Starmer's Deputy Prime Minister and close ally Angela Rayner has resigned after a house tax scandal, triggering a major cabinet reshuffle.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Holly, who did not share her last name, posed in the familiar tourist style—appearing to hold up the tilted tower.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The fantastic is used to sketch out familiar story lines, but the metaphysical premise remains as vague as the dramatic stakes in the lives of the characters.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Cracker Barrel’s stock fell approximately 10% in after hours trading and was down more than 8% at time of publication.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
-
And does the wild card that his older brother Andrew is in the middle of a polarizing New York mayoral race factor in?—
Erik Hayden,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
European businesses will be closely watching that meeting, as China is the EU’s second-largest goods partner with trade standing at $732 billion euros in 2024.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
-
These options are often less expensive, faster, and more closely tied to job outcomes than a four-year degree.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The rule almost failed, however, when six Republicans halted action on the floor by initially voting against the procedural measure.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
-
That was a big ask and Mac Jones was great… Kyle asked him to throw almost 40 times on the road and there’s no George Kittle.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/near. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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