: close to
beaches near the city
seemed to be near death
1
a
: not far distant in time, place, or degree
in the near future
b
: almost happening : narrowly missed or avoided
a near win in the primary
a near midair collision
c
: nearly not happening
a near escape
2
: closely related or intimately associated
her nearest and dearest friend
3
a
: being the closer of two
the near side
b
: being the left-hand one of a pair
the near wheel of a cart
5
6
a
: closely resembling the standard or typical
a near desert
b
: approximating the genuine
near silk
nearness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of near in a Sentence
Adverb
The plant was near dead when I got it.
as the campers grew cold, so they gravitated nearer to the campfire
Preposition
I left the box near the door.
The cat won't go near fire.
There are several beaches near here.
She came home near midnight.
We feared he was near death.
Adjective
The nearest grocery store is three blocks away.
The near side headlight is out.
Verb
As the date of the performance neared, we grew more and more anxious.
He always cheers up when baseball season nears.
The airplane began to descend as it neared the island.
He must be nearing 80 years of age.
The negotiators were nearing a decision.
Recent Examples on the Web
Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2025
The team then plans to relocate in 2028 to a near permanent stadium in Las Vegas.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 23 Jan. 2025
Roger Sands, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
The Israeli military has spent these past months of the ceasefire feverishly destroying Hezbollah weapons and military infrastructure and leveling several Lebanese villages near the border.
—Mick Krever, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025
Chris Welch, The Verge, 13 Jan. 2025
There remains a possibility that margins could fall to about 9% in the near term.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard missed Wednesday’s loss to the Nuggets in Denver to return to Los Angeles to be with his family, as the wildfires neared his Pacific Palisades home.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for near 
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Adverb
Warmer weather moves into Kansas City On Friday, temperatures will start to warm up, returning to near normal, the weather service said.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2025
The team then plans to relocate in 2028 to a near permanent stadium in Las Vegas.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 23 Jan. 2025
Preposition
Boat trips in the fjord systems around Nuuk or among the icebergs near Ilulissat are very popular.
—Roger Sands, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
The Israeli military has spent these past months of the ceasefire feverishly destroying Hezbollah weapons and military infrastructure and leveling several Lebanese villages near the border.
—Mick Krever, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
To that end, CEO Patrick Spence today published a letter that covers the progress Sonos has made with the new app — and what customers can expect in the near future.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 13 Jan. 2025
There remains a possibility that margins could fall to about 9% in the near term.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas are nearing a significant development, with sources revealing that around 1,000 Palestinian prisoners could be freed in exchange for hostages as part of an initial phase in a broader ceasefire deal.
—Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard missed Wednesday’s loss to the Nuggets in Denver to return to Los Angeles to be with his family, as the wildfires neared his Pacific Palisades home.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for near
Articles Related to near
Dictionary Entries Near near
Cite this Entry
“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
near
1 of 4 adverb1
: at, within, or to a short distance or time
night was drawing near
2
: in a condition or state resembling or close to : almost
near dead
3
: nearly sense 1
near related
near
2 of 4 preposition(ˈ)ni(ə)r
: close to
standing near the door
near
3 of 4 adjectiveˈni(ə)r
1
: closely related or associated
her nearest and dearest friend
2
a
: not far away
the near future
b
: barely avoided
a near disaster
c
: almost not happening
a near victory
3
: being the closer of two
the near side of a hill
4
: direct entry 2 sense 1, short
the nearest route
5
: closely resembling a model or a genuine example
near silk
nearness
noun
near
4 of 4 verbˈni(ə)r
: to come near : approach
the ship was nearing the dock
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