nearly at once

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "nearly at once" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an action or event that occurs almost immediately after another. Example: "The phone rang, and nearly at once, she picked it up."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

She fled him nearly at once".

The New York Times - Books

Worse, all those things would happen nearly at once.

The New York Times

Seven arrived nearly at once, starting at 3 08 P.M.

The New Yorker

It came, as always, without warning, and vanished nearly at once.

The New Yorker

Reading "Jenny," one understands Powell's -- and Page's -- enthusiasm nearly at once.

The New York Times - Books

In one of those villages, 110 young girls were killed nearly at once, as their elementary school collapsed and buried them under jagged slabs of steel and concrete.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

They have the potential to hit nearly everywhere at once.

The New York Times

He started the project as a photo blog, and both the "Advanced Style" book and blog share the standout quality of being so of their time that they feel nearly peculiar — at once familiar and like nothing you've ever seen.

The New York Times - Magazine

For an illustration, think again of the emergency situation where one gains a number of beliefs nearly all at once, all of them justified by a number of different justifiers.

SEP

While the Port-au-Prince airport ramp has spaces for over a dozen airliners, in the days following the quake it sometimes served nearly 40 at once, creating serious delays.

Wikipedia

Almost at once Caesar was nearly trapped at Alexandria, where he had intervened in a succession dispute; but he escaped and installed Cleopatra on the throne, for personal as well as political reasons.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "nearly at once" to indicate that something happened almost immediately after a preceding event, creating a sense of close temporal proximity. For instance, "The alarm sounded, and nearly at once, the team mobilized."

Common error

Avoid using "nearly at once" when you mean something happened simultaneously or with no delay whatsoever. "Immediately" or "instantaneously" are more accurate for those situations. "Nearly at once" implies a very slight delay.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "nearly at once" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb to indicate the timing of an action. It specifies that an event occurred almost immediately after another. Ludwig AI examples show how it situates events in close temporal proximity.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

4%

Academia

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "nearly at once" is a grammatically sound adverbial phrase used to denote actions occurring almost immediately after one another. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is appropriate for both formal and informal contexts, though more commonly found in news and media. When writing, ensure that the slight delay implied by "nearly" is consistent with your intended meaning. Alternatives like "almost immediately" or "right away" may be more suitable if no delay is intended. Keep in mind that in general writing, "nearly at once" isn't used that often.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost immediately

Emphasizes immediacy with 'immediately', conveying a slightly stronger sense of speed than 'at once'.

almost instantly

Similar to 'almost immediately' but highlights the instantaneous nature of the action.

right away

Implies immediate action, potentially more direct and less nuanced than the original phrase.

very quickly

Focuses on the speed of the action without necessarily implying it follows something else.

promptly

Emphasizes the timeliness and lack of delay in the action.

in rapid succession

Suggests a series of events occurring quickly one after another, rather than a single event.

in short order

An idiomatic expression meaning 'soon' or 'quickly', less precise about timing.

in quick time

Primarily focuses on speed and efficiency.

on the double

An informal expression that emphasizes speed and urgency.

forthwith

A more formal and somewhat archaic way of saying 'immediately'.

FAQs

What does "nearly at once" mean?

"Nearly at once" means almost immediately or very soon after something else. It implies that there was very little delay between two events.

How can I use "nearly at once" in a sentence?

You can use "nearly at once" to describe events that follow each other closely in time. For example, "The rain started, and "nearly at once", the streets were flooded."

What phrases are similar to "nearly at once"?

Similar phrases include "almost immediately", "almost instantly", or "right away". These all convey a sense of immediacy.

Is "nearly at once" formal or informal?

"Nearly at once" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its neutrality allows for broad application in writing and speech.