near beer

noun

any of several malt beverages that are similar to beer but are usually considered nonalcoholic because they have an alcoholic content of less than ½ percent.

Origin of near beer

¹

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Words Nearby near beer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use near beer in a sentence

But more gigantic still is the well at Bovey, another Tudor house, near beer, which bears the reputation of being haunted.
Nooks and Corners of Old England | Allan Fea
If he played me right he might even get that recipe for making near beer closer.
Pieces of Hate | Heywood Broun
Only wonder of nature I ever saw in Schoenstrom was my friend Mac trying to think he was soused after a case of near-beer.
Free Air | Sinclair Lewis

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