You use near to say that something is a little more or less than an amount or number stated. to increase manufacturing from about 2.5 million cars a year to nearer 4.75 million
In a contest, your nearest rival or challenger is the person or team that is most likely to defeat you. That victory put the Ukrainians beyond the reach of their nearest challengers, Dynamo Moscow
You describe the thing most similar to something as the nearest thing to it when there is no example of the thing itself. It would appear that the legal profession is the nearest thing to a recession-proof industry
If something happens near a particular time, it happens just before or just after that time. Performance is lowest between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m, and reaches a peak near midday I'll tell you nearer the day