nearly at the same time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "nearly at the same time" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe two or more events that happen close together or when the difference in timing between two events is very small. Example: The runners took off nearly at the same time, and it was difficult to tell who was ahead.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

An offensive on Falluja would be conducted nearly at the same time as parallel military operations, or possibly political negotiations, in Ramadi, the restive capital of Al Anbar Province, just 30 miles west of Falluja, General Sattler said.

The New York Times

"The office of the Special Prosecutor has indicated extreme interest in this matter and requests that the interviews be conducted as soon as possible, and as nearly at the same time as possible," Kelley wrote in the memo on the investigation into Steinbrenner and his American Ship Building Company, which was based in Cleveland.

The New York Times - Sports

The RDR policy allocates the power according to the remaining bits in time, which guarantees that all the data transmissions are completed nearly at the same time.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

The tree reconstruction times after multiple join and leave events happening nearly at the same time are given in Table 3 (see the fourth line of Table 3 in each scenario).

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

But nearly at the same time, I get the offer of a position at a new biotech company, which is just starting to employ its first people--an incredible challenge at a time when biotech is booming.

Science Magazine

In the proposed control signal of each agent, a signal of the neighbors' error is considered to cope with variation in performance and to provide synchronization, which means that the state error of the agents converges to zero nearly at the same time.

Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

Data tracked by the Corcoran Group showed that the number of apartments that closed dropped to 2,982 sales in the third quarter, compared with nearly 4,976 at the same time last year.

The New York Times

It was overcast at HUS and TJO, although an auroral brightening occurred at these stations at nearly the same time as the EEASs.

Earth, Planets and Space

It includes a number of helpful features, like a search results page that syncs flight plans to get people at the airport at nearly the same time, and a tab that shows how much time together the travelers will have for each flight-and-hotel package offered.

The New York Times

An energetic proton event was observed at a geosynchronous orbit at nearly the same time as an interplanetary shock wave reached the Earth's magnetosphere, indicating that these two events interacted with each other during their passage to Earth.

Advances in Space Research

They landed at nearly the same time, about 7 p.m.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "nearly at the same time" to clearly indicate that two or more events occurred close together, but not exactly at the same moment. This is useful when precision is not critical but the temporal proximity is relevant.

Common error

Avoid using "nearly at the same time" when events are actually simultaneous or have a significant time difference. Overstating simultaneity can mislead your audience.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "nearly at the same time" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying verbs or clauses to specify when an action occurred. It indicates temporal proximity without exact simultaneity, similar to the examples provided by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

46%

News & Media

40%

Encyclopedias

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Wiki

2%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "nearly at the same time" is a grammatically correct adverbial phrase used to indicate that events occurred close together, though not precisely simultaneously. According to Ludwig, the phrase is acceptable for use in written English. It is commonly found in science and news media, and less frequently in formal business contexts. When using this phrase, be mindful of accurately portraying temporal relationships to avoid misleading your audience.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost simultaneously

Emphasizes concurrence more strongly than the original phrase.

around the same time

Offers a less precise sense of timing compared to the original.

in close succession

Highlights the order of events happening quickly after each other.

shortly thereafter

Focuses on the brief interval following an initial event.

concurrently

Suggests events happening together or in parallel.

in quick order

Implies a rapid sequence of events.

practically synchronous

Indicates an almost perfect alignment in time.

virtually concurrent

Similar to "almost simultaneously" but less common.

in rapid sequence

Stresses the speed at which the events unfold.

close on the heels of

An idiomatic expression implying immediacy and direct consequence.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "nearly at the same time"?

You can use alternatives like "almost simultaneously", "around the same time", or "in close succession" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "at the same time" or "nearly at the same time"?

Use "at the same time" when events occur simultaneously. Use "nearly at the same time" when they occur very close together but not precisely together.

What does "nearly at the same time" imply about the events?

It implies that the events occurred with a minimal time difference, suggesting a connection or relationship due to their temporal proximity.

Can I use "nearly at the same time" in formal writing?

Yes, "nearly at the same time" is appropriate for formal writing, including scientific and academic contexts, where precise timing isn't critical but close temporal proximity is relevant.