anywhere
Americanadverb
-
in, at, or to any place.
-
to any extent; to some degree.
Does my answer come anywhere near the right one?
noun
idioms
adverb
-
in, at, or to any place
-
to be successful
it took three years before he got anywhere
-
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.
“The Louvre was a wake-up call that anywhere can be hit,” said Chris Marinello, chief executive and founder of Art Recovery International, a London-based firm that chases down stolen art.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Dr Percy said: "Where the real accelerator value add comes in here, what can be done on that network can be rinse and repeat anywhere else."
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
October has also been an ugly month for the sector but this time around, JPMorgan’s global strategy team does not anticipate a recovery anywhere near as speedy and emphatic.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
They might come around, because in the city’s shared system of power, there are times when the City Council and mayor need to paddle in the same direction in order to get anywhere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
Mom is trying to disguise how she sounds, but I would recognize that voice anywhere.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
