near 1 of 4

preposition

Definition of nearnext
as in around
close to please don't cough near me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

near

2 of 4

adjective

1
as in closer
being the less far of two grab the comforter from the near side of the bed and fold it in half

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

near

3 of 4

adverb

ˈnir How to pronounce near (audio)
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
as in closely
to a close degree copy the artist's drawing into your own sketchbook as near as you can

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

near

4 of 4

verb

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
2
as in to approach
to move closer to as we near the church, you'll be able to see the bas-relief sculptures better

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of near
Preposition
Instead of orbiting Earth, Roman will operate near a point in space known as the Sun-Earth L2 (Lagrange Point 2). — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The report states that on the morning of May 23, police were dispatched to Jacobs’ home near Green Bay because of a disturbance between Jacobs and a woman described as his girlfriend. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Two weeks after a total solar eclipse wowed skywatchers in southern Europe, a near-total lunar eclipse is set to put on a show Thursday night for people across North and South America. — Denise Chow, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026 The trades have largely consolidated under one roof, Penske Media, which owns Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Billboard, and Rolling Stone, among others, granting it a near-monopoly on major industry news. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Adverb
The collection of minor hits and near-misses from the 1960s blended rough edges and euphoric hooks. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026 Metellus thrives nearer to the box, but that’s also where Ward fits best. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
Blumberg and preservation One might imagine that a man nearing 90 and who was a prominent leader in hospitality has grappled with the issue of historic preservation. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 As the iconic iPhone nears the 20th anniversary of its introduction, the new foldable design marks the biggest single change to the product’s look. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for near
Recent Examples of Synonyms for near
  1. around
  2. relative
  3. living
  4. close
  5. familiar
  6. in
  7. closely
  8. almost
Preposition
  • Assertive Mars clashes with your ruler Saturn, highlighting tension around your home, family, or the amount of emotional labor each person carries.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • On the left, Harvey Barnes is currently first-choice, while Newcastle agreed a deal potentially rising to around £50million for Bazoumana Toure in July.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of around
Adjective
  • Paramount brass resisted casting a relative unknown named Al Pacino, whose only previous starring film role was as a junkie in The Panic in Needle Park.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Even after selling the team 10 months ago, morphing the Lakers from a relative mom-and-pop shop to a massive corporation, the presence of the Buss family still couldn’t be missed.
    — Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of relative
Adjective
  • For now, Rooral only operates in Benarraba, but similar programs are starting to pop up across Spain—like Anceu, which offers a rural co-living program in Galicia.
    — Liz Provencher, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • At the time, Rice was an account executive for PadSplit, an online co-living rental marketplace, where users can rent rooms in shared living spaces.
    — Diamy Wang August 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of living
Adjective
  • California Cruise is even closer than expected, with deliveries slated to begin next year.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The success of this trial was possible through the close and constructive cooperation between the participating German Air Force organisations, the exercise management team and the expert teams from Rheinmetall Air Defence and Hensoldt.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of close
Adjective
  • The point is to make the brand’s Parisian identity travel throughout its 56 markets without turning it into a collection of familiar cues and clichés.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In the campaign video, Kelce arrives at New York’s iconic The Plaza Hotel and greets a few familiar A-list faces before heading to his room to relax with an adorable, fluffy white dog.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of familiar
Adverb
  • The partnership between two outsiders clawing their way in, joined by an equally canny journalist played by Claire Foy, comes to shape Fleet Street, the London thoroughfare where scribblers plied their trade, in Lamb’s and Murdoch’s images.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Shares of Nvidia which had initially declined slightly after the earnings report, reversed course and increased by more than 5% in after hours trading as company executives discussed the results on the conference call.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of in
Adverb
  • Warsh's remarks will be closely monitored for any indication of his views on how monetary policy should respond to persistently above-target inflation, or the impact of rising long-term borrowing costs.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The lawsuit had been closely watched as one of the Justice Department's largest civil actions targeting an individual company over its alleged role in the opioid crisis.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of closely
Adverb
  • Brentford have almost qualified for Europe in the past two seasons.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Carley Garner, a commodity market strategist and broker at DeCarley Trading, said smaller futures and oil ETFs such as the United States Oil Fund (ticker USO) have made speculation possible for traders at almost any level of experience or funding.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of almost

Phrases Containing near

Browse Nearby Words

Neanderthals
near
nearby
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/near. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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