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
The near miss forced a kind of rapid-fire scenario assessment that most executives never develop.
—
Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
His superlative shot-stopping ability, commanding distribution and defining game-winning moments this season contributed substantially to the Gunners ending their 22-year wait for a Premier League trophy – this after so many recent near misses.
—Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
The near miss in March occurred about eight miles north of the runway, said AnnaSophia Servin, a spokesperson for John Wayne Airport.
—Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 15 May 2026
Their near miss underscores the threat to ships and local communities as retreating glaciers destabilize the landscape.
—Megan I. Gannon, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for near miss
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Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
His superlative shot-stopping ability, commanding distribution and defining game-winning moments this season contributed substantially to the Gunners ending their 22-year wait for a Premier League trophy – this after so many recent near misses.
—Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
The near miss in March occurred about eight miles north of the runway, said AnnaSophia Servin, a spokesperson for John Wayne Airport.
—Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 15 May 2026
Their near miss underscores the threat to ships and local communities as retreating glaciers destabilize the landscape.
—Megan I. Gannon, Scientific American, 6 May 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 7 Jun. 2026.
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