close call

noun \ ˈklōs- \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of close call

: a narrow escape

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Examples of close call in a Sentence

We nearly didn't get out of the burning building. It was a pretty close call, let me tell you!
the doctor said I'd had a close call, and was lucky to be alive

Recent Examples of close call from the Web

There had been near misses with unidentified vessels on night sails, close calls with erratic powerboat owners in Ibiza and way too much rowing in a fuel-hungry dinghy.

— kellie pollock, CNN, "'Weathered but wiser' — Around-the-world sailors learn hard lessons," 17 Apr. 2018
The inning started with a close call as Arcadia senior Kelly Flynn dove headfirst into first base to record a two-run infield single.

— jorge ramos, azcentral, "Arcadia softball holds off Chaparral in back-and-forth thriller," 17 Apr. 2018
Malik Monk over Mitchell was a close call and the wrong one.

— rick bonnell, charlotteobserver, "5 key thoughts on the firing of Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford | Charlotte Observer," 13 Apr. 2018
Sure, there had been a few close calls — most notably Georgetown surviving against Princeton in 1989 for a 50-49 win when a freshman named Alonzo Mourning blocked Kit Mueller’s final-play shot.

— aaron beard, BostonGlobe.com, "Toppled Virginia left searching for answers," 18 Mar. 2018
The closest call came in Mississippi in 2014, when GOP Sen. Thad Cochran won fewer votes than his challenger Chris McDaniel, sending the contest to a runoff.

— andrea drusch, star-telegram, "Ted Cruz, once a GOP outlier, now embraced by his party | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 27 Feb. 2018
Fortunately this close call left bystanders spooked but not injured, and with a heck of a clip to show for it.

— eric limer, Popular Mechanics, "CL-215 Scooper Gives Lucky Bystander a Haircut," 15 Aug. 2016
Adults who should’ve known better, who should’ve tried to model appropriate responses to close calls, instead acted like tantrum-throwing 2-year-olds.

— ana veciana-suarez, miamiherald, "Misbehaving parents need a time-out from youth sports | Miami Herald," 2 Apr. 2018
Chrissy Teigen had a close call with a cyclist on Tuesday night while walking in New York City.

— alexia fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Pregnant Chrissy Teigen 'Saved' by a Stranger from 'Getting Run Over by a Cyclist' in New York," 28 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'close call.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.