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
If a couple of near misses hadn’t been slightly off target, Roldan could have added a pair of goals for good measure.
—
Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
There were some near misses across the board.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2025
In its preliminary report, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed the airport had experienced over 15,000 near misses between October 2021 and December 2024 involving helicopters and commercial airplanes.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent near misses at airports across the country and a January mid-air collision have left travelers and officials anxious about safety practices while pilots are in the air and on the ground.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near miss
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Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
There were some near misses across the board.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2025
In its preliminary report, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed the airport had experienced over 15,000 near misses between October 2021 and December 2024 involving helicopters and commercial airplanes.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent near misses at airports across the country and a January mid-air collision have left travelers and officials anxious about safety practices while pilots are in the air and on the ground.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025
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 23 Oct. 2025.
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