anywhere

American  

[en-ee-hwair, -wair] / ˈɛn iˌʰwɛər, -ˌwɛər /

adverb

1. in, at, or to any place.

2. to any extent; to some degree.

   Does my answer come anywhere near the right one?

---

noun

1. any place or direction.

   They knew the attack could come from anywhere.

idioms

1. get anywhere, to achieve success.

   You'll never get anywhere with that attitude!

anywhere British  

/ ˈɛnɪˌwɛə /

adverb

1. in, at, or to any place

2. to be successful

   it took three years before he got anywhere

3. any quantity, time, degree, etc, above a specified limit

   he could be anywhere from 40 to 50 years old

---

Spelling

See anyplace.

Etymology

Origin of anywhere

1350–1400; Middle English anywher ( e ), aniquar. See any, where

Explanation

The adverb anywhere means "in any location," or "wherever." If you're allowed to pitch your tent anywhere in the campground, it means you can choose any spot you like. When you say, "I can't find the cat anywhere!" it means you've looked every single place you can think of, and you still haven't located your pet. If you win the lottery, you may be overwhelmed by the idea that you can afford to travel anywhere — you can visit any country in the world. English speakers started saying anywhere in the 14th century; earlier, they said owhere or oughwhere.

Example Sentences

Replacing a toilet cistern can cost anywhere from $160 to $500, so you were charged at the lower end of that scale.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

Bernardo Pachas said Tuesday that "it could take anywhere from two weeks to the end of the month" to know whether conservative Keiko Fujimori or leftist Roberto Sanchez had won.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

The new rules will stop learners booking the soonest test available anywhere, then making a series of swaps to get a slot closer to home.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

But these templates don’t come anywhere close to the real thing, so Kakaiya decided to make an anatomically precise, patented 3D-printed model.

From Slate • Jun. 7, 2026

Because anywhere in the world we’d ever been, Ida Applewood was Mama.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan