near
adverb
close; to a point or place not far away.
had been nearing
-
past perfect progressiveof near.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
It had been nearing a close when it, too, became embroiled in controversy.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Woods last competed on tour in 2024 at the British Open, but the 15-time major champion had been nearing a comeback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
The contractor, who started work between 10:00 and 10:30, had been nearing the completion of work on the toilet when he became trapped just before 13:00.
From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2023
The father of three had been nearing the end of a 10-month deployment in Iraq.
From Salon ● Nov. 14, 2022
Billy Stark had been nearing the door, and now he was out of the room.
From Rose MacLeod by Alice Brown
