near miss
noun
variants
or less commonly near-miss
1
a
: a miss (as with a bomb) close enough to cause damage
b
: something that falls just short of success
2
a
: a near collision (as between aircraft)
b
Examples of near miss in a Sentence
After years of near misses, the team has finally won a championship.
a near miss with death prompted him to give up skydiving
Recent Examples on the Web
After so many near misses in major competitions, there was a change in emphasis.
—
Rob Tanner, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
The threat to planes from drones continues to increase along with the number of near misses around airports.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
Helicopter footage captured by News 4 showed near misses and high speed as the driver sped through intersections without so much as hitting the brakes.
—Jacob Beltran, San Antonio Express-News, 13 Feb. 2026
The threat to planes from drones continues to increase along with the number of near misses around airports.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for near miss
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Rob Tanner, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
The threat to planes from drones continues to increase along with the number of near misses around airports.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
Helicopter footage captured by News 4 showed near misses and high speed as the driver sped through intersections without so much as hitting the brakes.
—Jacob Beltran, San Antonio Express-News, 13 Feb. 2026
The threat to planes from drones continues to increase along with the number of near misses around airports.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for near miss
Cite this Entry
“Near miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near%20miss. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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