From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe nearest thing/equivalent to somethingthe nearest thing/equivalent to somethingthe thing you have that is most like a particular type of thing He’s the nearest thing to a father I’ve got. → near
Examples from the Corpus
the nearest thing/equivalent to something• That and the fact that it lost faith in the nearest thing to a charismatic it had had since Rose Fox.• It was the nearest thing to a coherent defence system yet seen at Verdun.• So let us accept that I am the nearest thing to a father that Nana has available.• The United Nations General Assembly has been called the nearest thing to a world parliament.• Here was perhaps the nearest thing to alchemy that had ever been seen in the field of politics.• A little bit of sleep was the nearest thing to consolation left for people like us.• Still, as Jane belonged nowhere, Sussex became the nearest thing to home.• I think she and Phil were the nearest thing to soccer hooligans that canoeing can produce. 