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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of close calls
Controllers at the airport have been under scrutiny since the airport was the site of a January 29 deadly collision between a military helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet that killed 67 people and a subsequent series of close calls.
—
Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
The Jets have had a few close calls this season, losing by just two points against both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Ryall noted that among this year’s choices there were a number of close calls.
—Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2025
One of the most serious close calls was in March at Chicago's Midway International Airport, where a Southwest Airlines jet aborted landing and performed a go-around after a business jet entered the runway without authorization.
—Ayesha Ali, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2025
No injuries or close calls were reported.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 27 Sep. 2025
Practice confident body language and presence; Fortune has highlighted the power of a genuine smile and positive nonverbal signals to differentiate in close calls.
—Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
But when a beloved bookstore — especially one that’s had some close calls over the years — turns 70, nothing short of a block party will do.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
With multiple overtime games, upsets and close calls, Week 2 provided a lot of reasons to shake up this week’s edition of The Athletic 136, just not at the top.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
The Jets have had a few close calls this season, losing by just two points against both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Ryall noted that among this year’s choices there were a number of close calls.
—Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2025
One of the most serious close calls was in March at Chicago's Midway International Airport, where a Southwest Airlines jet aborted landing and performed a go-around after a business jet entered the runway without authorization.
—Ayesha Ali, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2025
No injuries or close calls were reported.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 27 Sep. 2025
Practice confident body language and presence; Fortune has highlighted the power of a genuine smile and positive nonverbal signals to differentiate in close calls.
—Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
But when a beloved bookstore — especially one that’s had some close calls over the years — turns 70, nothing short of a block party will do.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
With multiple overtime games, upsets and close calls, Week 2 provided a lot of reasons to shake up this week’s edition of The Athletic 136, just not at the top.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Close calls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/close%20calls. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share