it nearly works

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it nearly works" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something is close to functioning as intended but may still have some issues or require adjustments. Example: "The new software update is promising; it nearly works, but there are still a few bugs to fix."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

It nearly works.

The Guardian - Film

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

And it nearly worked.

The New Yorker

"Keep going, keep going," he said, and it nearly worked.

The New York Times

The combination worked last week and it nearly worked again today.

The New York Times - Sports

Neil Warnock said he had been working on a plan to stop the money monster and it nearly worked.

The Guardian - Sport

I felt like every player was playing well on the team but I wanted experience up front and at the back – it nearly worked out".

The Guardian - Sport

It nearly worked and perhaps would have if Canada had just a little more experience against tier one nations – just three matches between the end of the 2011 World Cup and the start of this one.

The Guardian - Sport

Presumably the idea was to agitate the French enough that they would react, and in that respect it nearly worked, as Paul Pogba was extremely lucky to get away with retaliating to Wilson Palacios's particular brand of rough-housing after 30 minutes.

The Guardian - Sport

"That's the only way to play on the counter attack and it nearly worked.

BBC

In fact, he said his strategy was to "lose, lose, lose, lose, lose, win" and it nearly worked.

Huffington Post

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Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "it nearly works" to convey that something is close to achieving its intended purpose, but still requires further refinement or adjustment. It's suitable when the outcome is just shy of complete success.

Common error

Avoid using "it nearly works" when the subject has fully achieved its goal. This phrase indicates incompleteness, so ensure your writing accurately reflects the state of the action or object.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it nearly works" functions as a descriptive statement. Ludwig AI confirms that the expression is a correct and usable phrase, typically describing something that is close to being functional or successful but requires further adjustments.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Sport

40%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "it nearly works" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to indicate that something is close to achieving its intended functionality or success, but still requires some refinement. Ludwig AI's analysis highlights its usage across various contexts, including News & Media and Sports, suggesting a neutral register suitable for both professional and informal communication. When using the expression, it's essential to avoid confusing near-success with complete success and to ensure accurate representation. Alternatives like "it almost succeeds" or "it comes close to working" can be used to add variety while maintaining semantic similarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it almost succeeds

Emphasizes the close proximity to success, altering the verb.

it comes close to working

Adds emphasis to the near-success using a longer structure.

it nearly achieves success

Replaces "works" with "achieves success" to emphasize the positive outcome that was close to happening.

it practically works

Stresses the high degree of functionality, nearly complete.

it's almost effective

Substitutes "works" with "effective" focusing on the impact.

it falls just short

Focuses on the failure to fully achieve the goal, changing the verb and structure.

it skirts success

Uses a more figurative expression to indicate nearing success.

it narrowly fails

Emphasizes the slim margin of failure, altering the verb.

it barely functions

Highlights the minimal functionality achieved, adding a sense of struggle.

it's touch and go

Emphasizes uncertainty and the precariousness of the near success.

FAQs

How can I use "it nearly works" in a sentence?

Use "it nearly works" to express that something almost functions as intended, but not quite. For example, "The prototype is promising; "it nearly works", but needs some adjustments".

What's a good alternative to "it nearly works"?

Alternatives include phrases like "it almost succeeds", "it comes close to working", or "it falls just short", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "it nearly worked" grammatically correct?

No, "it nearly worked" is grammatically correct. The phrase "it nearly works" uses the present tense, implying a current state of near-functionality. "It nearly worked" would imply that something almost worked in the past.

What is the difference between "it nearly works" and "it completely works"?

"It nearly works" signifies that something is close to functioning properly but still has issues, while "it completely works" indicates that something is fully functional and achieves its intended purpose without problems.