as in narrow escapes
a barely successful escape from something undesirable
the doctor said I'd had a close call, and was lucky to be alive
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Recent Examples of close calls
The incident came one day after a separate plane struck a light pole and damaged a bakery truck while landing in New Jersey, marking the latest in a string of aviation close calls.
—
Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Stacy, a crossing guard in East Lansdowne who asked that her last name not be used, said the job often puts her in close calls with traffic.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Their house remained standing after both close calls.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
Most of the close calls that happen every year involve small planes that don’t have those systems, but the Federal Aviation Administration couldn’t immediately provide a number for how many happen annually.
—Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Most of the close calls that happen every year involve small planes that don’t have those systems, but the Fedearl Aviation Administration couldn’t immediately provide a number for how many happen annually.
—ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
At Rhein Haus, a tape measure settles the close calls.
—Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026
There were no close calls like the following year’s narrow win over Stanford.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
There have been some close calls along the way.
—Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2026
Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Stacy, a crossing guard in East Lansdowne who asked that her last name not be used, said the job often puts her in close calls with traffic.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Their house remained standing after both close calls.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
Most of the close calls that happen every year involve small planes that don’t have those systems, but the Federal Aviation Administration couldn’t immediately provide a number for how many happen annually.
—Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Most of the close calls that happen every year involve small planes that don’t have those systems, but the Fedearl Aviation Administration couldn’t immediately provide a number for how many happen annually.
—ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
At Rhein Haus, a tape measure settles the close calls.
—Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026
There were no close calls like the following year’s narrow win over Stanford.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
There have been some close calls along the way.
—Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for close calls
close shaves
Noun
-
Villa rely on its revenue to push their limits, so going another year on the outside will mean player sales, budget cuts and very, very close shaves with financial sanctions.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The Torreys are accustomed to, pun intended, close shaves.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Close calls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/close%20calls. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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