nearly close

USAGE SUMMARY

'nearly close' is not correct and not usable in written English.
Instead, you could use the phrase 'almost close' to convey the same meaning. Example: We were almost close to finding the answer.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

49 human-written examples

"But we know we're not nearly close to being as good as we can be".

The New York Times - Sports

Though the shells usually gape a bit, they should nearly close when touched.

The New York Times - Food

Although distributional concerns in some contributions can be traced, they are not nearly close to a preference for equal payoffs.

Journal of Economic Psychology

When my phone is nearly close enough to touch the beacon, the app puts me at three radio feet.

The New York Times

"We had a better first half of the season and we were nearly close to the win.

Independent

Looming 15 miles in the distance, the south face of Denali seemed nearly close enough to touch.

The New York Times - Travel

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

11 human-written examples

In this manner, some closed or nearly closed trajectories around the Earth Moon Lagrange points are found that need almost zero station-keeping maneuver.

Advances in Space Research

I very nearly almost closed the show and walked away for good.

Independent

It is often necessary to identify close-packed or nearly close-packed planes in a crystal.

Acta Materialia

The microcomputerized-tomography reconstruction reveals an interconnective macroporous architecture and a void volume of over 49.02% for the nearly close-packed bead scaffolds.

Acta Biomaterialia

The present paper describes a simple method for identifying close-packed or nearly close-packed planes in crystals containing more than one atom per lattice point.

Acta Materialia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using "almost close" or "very close" to ensure grammatical correctness. Although "nearly close" is frequently used, it's not considered standard English.

Common error

Avoid using "nearly close" as it can be seen as redundant. "Nearly" already implies approximation, and "close" indicates proximity, making the combination less precise than alternatives like "almost close".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "nearly close" functions as an adverb-adjective combination, attempting to modify the adjective "close" with the adverb "nearly". However, this construction is generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI states that it's not correct in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

38%

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Academia

3%

Encyclopedias

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "nearly close" is frequently used across various contexts, particularly in science and news media. However, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect, recommending alternatives such as "almost close" or "very close". While common, especially in neutral registers, it's advisable to opt for grammatically sound alternatives, especially in formal writing. Although "nearly close" is prevalent, prioritizing accuracy enhances clarity and professionalism. Therefore, despite its widespread usage, substitute it with more standard expressions for improved grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost close

Replaces "nearly" with "almost", creating a grammatically standard phrase with similar meaning.

very close

Emphasizes proximity, similar to "nearly close", but with a slightly stronger connotation.

pretty close

Offers a more informal way of expressing proximity, comparable to "nearly close".

close enough

Indicates a sufficient level of proximity, conveying a sense of acceptance or satisfaction.

in close proximity

Formalizes the expression of nearness, suitable for academic or professional contexts.

approaching closely

Focuses on the action of nearing, suitable when emphasizing the process of becoming close.

substantially near

Substitutes both words to create a more formal, and less common, alternative.

approximately near

Replaces close with near but mantains similar overall meaning.

essentially near

Focuses on the fundamental nearness, providing a different nuance than "nearly close".

just about close

Expresses a slight uncertainty or qualification about the closeness.

FAQs

What is a better alternative to "nearly close"?

Alternatives like "almost close" or "very close" provide grammatically correct options with similar meanings.

Is "nearly close" grammatically correct?

No, "nearly close" is not considered grammatically correct. It is better to use alternatives such as "almost close" or "pretty close".

How can I use "almost close" in a sentence?

You can use "almost close" in sentences such as, "The deal was almost close to being finalized" or "The colors are almost close to being the same shade".

What's the difference between "nearly close" and "almost close"?

While both phrases convey a sense of proximity, "almost close" is considered grammatically standard, whereas "nearly close" is generally considered incorrect. Always prefer the former in formal writing.