near miss

as in narrow escape
a barely successful escape from something undesirable a near miss with death prompted him to give up skydiving

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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 near miss The National Transportation Safety Board has said the FAA should have acted before January's crash because there had been 85 near misses reported around Ronald Reagan National Airport in the years before the disaster. Arkansas Online, 12 June 2025 In the world of prestigious awards, some names are synonymous with near misses. Brendan Rascius july 10, Miami Herald, 10 July 2025 While crashes of this magnitude are rare, recent years have shown a growing trend of near misses at airports across the country. Beck Andrew Salgado, Austin American Statesman, 4 July 2025 And there were many, many near misses where the popular vote loser almost became president, making many such future instances a statistical certainty. Stephen Legomsky, The Conversation, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for near miss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for near miss
Noun
  • Sure, there have been a handful of close calls where fires have prompted us to pack up or evacuate.
    Faith Barton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 July 2025
  • Watch as sharks tear into his prosthetic limbs, squirm amid some gripping close calls, and allow the very macho commentary to wash over you and grimace (or giggle) at a shocking amount of fake blood.
    Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 20 July 2025
Noun
  • Meant to be used anywhere and everywhere, this delivers a smooth and close shave by reducing friction with allantoin and infusing skin with shea butter, glycerin and squalane for softness and moisture.
    Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • 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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Cite this Entry

“Near miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/near%20miss. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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