anywhere
Americanadverb
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in, at, or to any place.
-
to any extent; to some degree.
Does my answer come anywhere near the right one?
noun
idioms
adverb
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in, at, or to any place
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to be successful
it took three years before he got anywhere
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Seats alone at the 2028 Games can cost anywhere from $28 to north of $500, including a 24% service fee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
"This is unprecedented. There has been no vaccination of this scale in a wild population anywhere in the world," Todd said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
It is expected to be the first day since 29 June when temperatures will fail to reach 25C anywhere in the UK.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
If the interpretation is confirmed, the result could help physicists test how established theories of quantum physics behave under some of the most extreme conditions found anywhere in the universe.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026
Now that he was big, he could walk anywhere he wanted.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
