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
In addition to serious safety concerns over the tower fight and the mid-air collision, two sources specifically mentioned the close call between a Delta Air Lines flight departing Reagan National and an Air Force jet at the end of March.
—
Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2025
The Gators remain confident regardless of the circumstances, even if coach Todd Golden and his ticker could use a rest after his squad survived another close call during an Elite Eight win against Texas Tech.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2025
But for some close calls, the prospect promotion incentive might have been the difference between adding a player in early March and waiting until mid-April.
—Chad Jennings, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Listen to this article The company operating the helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River carrying a family from Spain, killing them all, has a history of close calls and financial problems that resulted in a 2019 bankruptcy filing, records show.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for close call
Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2025
The Gators remain confident regardless of the circumstances, even if coach Todd Golden and his ticker could use a rest after his squad survived another close call during an Elite Eight win against Texas Tech.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2025
But for some close calls, the prospect promotion incentive might have been the difference between adding a player in early March and waiting until mid-April.
—Chad Jennings, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Listen to this article The company operating the helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River carrying a family from Spain, killing them all, has a history of close calls and financial problems that resulted in a 2019 bankruptcy filing, records show.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for close call
Recent Examples of Synonyms for close call
close shave
Noun
-
Their characters have had plenty of close shaves, although most didn't involve razors.—
Chris Cosgrove,
EW.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Cartridge razors feature disposable cartridges, where two to six blades are tightly spaced for a quick, close shave.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Close call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/close%20call. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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