as in narrow escape
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 call
The close calls coincided with the successful Houthi shootdowns of seven MQ-9 Reaper drones during the same period.
—
Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
However, in the prime of their careers, this wouldn't even be a close call.
—Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Both players and umpires also have informally raised the possibility of ABS including a buffer zone that would allow certain close calls to stand even if they are overturned by the system.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 19 May 2025
A couple of close calls evoke iconic sequences, including one gruesome closing nod to the series’s highpoint, Final Destination 2.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for close call
Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
However, in the prime of their careers, this wouldn't even be a close call.
—Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Both players and umpires also have informally raised the possibility of ABS including a buffer zone that would allow certain close calls to stand even if they are overturned by the system.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 19 May 2025
A couple of close calls evoke iconic sequences, including one gruesome closing nod to the series’s highpoint, Final Destination 2.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for close call
Recent Examples of Synonyms for close call
close shave
Noun
-
The floating, vibrating head gave me a really close shave, especially with my shaving cream.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
16 May 2025
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Their characters have had plenty of close shaves, although most didn't involve razors.—
Chris Cosgrove,
EW.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Close call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/close%20call. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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