if anything vs nearly

if anything

adv
  • Used to suggest or state tentatively that something may be the case (often the opposite of something previously implied). 

  • Used in questions when the speaker does not know for sure if the listener will have an answer. 

nearly

adv
  • In close approximation; almost, virtually. 

  • With close relation; intimately. 

  • Stingily. 

  • Closely, in close proximity. 

How often have the words if anything and nearly occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )