Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

near

3 verb
     
near3 written
1 [transitive] to come closer to a place [= approach]:
She began to feel nervous as she neared the house.
The ship was nearing the harbour.
2 [transitive] to come closer to being in a particular state:
The work is nearing completion.
He's 55 now, and nearing retirement.
3 [transitive] to come closer to a particular time:
He was nearing the end of his stay in India.
4 [intransitive] if a time nears, it gets closer and will come soon:
He got more and more nervous as the day of his departure neared.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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