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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
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3
as in living
closely resembling the object imitated
the dress is made from a near silk that would fool anyone but an expert
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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
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5
as in familiar
closely acquainted
only her nearest friends know she's pregnant
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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
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as in almost
very close to but not completely
it's near six o'clock, so we should start preparing dinner
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as in approximately
close to but not exactly
it takes somewhere near an hour to get there
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Near.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/near. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.
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