next to

1 of 2

preposition

1
: immediately following or adjacent to
2
: in comparison to
next to you I'm wealthy

next to

2 of 2

adverb

: very nearly : almost
it was next to impossible to see in the fog

Examples of next to in a Sentence

Preposition enjoys living next to the ocean next to the war, the flagging economy was the biggest campaign issue Adverb bought it for next to nothing
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Preposition
Satellite images provided to CNN by Maxar show planes parked on the airfield next to what appears to be a decoy – a picture of a plane painted on the ground in white paint. Benjamin Brown, CNN Money, 3 June 2025 Rolling Stone even rang up Trump in 2008 to discuss his fandom after noticing him at several New York shows, including the front row of a CSNY concert at the Theater at MSG where he was seated next to Patti Smith and Salman Rushdie. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2025
Adverb
The left winglet of a Boeing 757 clipped the horizontal stabilizer of an empty Delta Air Lines Bombardier CRJ-900 that was parked next to it, the FAA said. Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Mar. 2023 Mulaney crouches next to his son, who is wearing a red and gray striped onesie. Georgia Slater, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for next to

Word History

First Known Use

Preposition

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1596, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of next to was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Next to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/next%20to. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

next to

1 of 2 preposition
: immediately following : being close to
next to the head of her class

next to

2 of 2 adverb
: very nearly : almost

More from Merriam-Webster on next to

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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