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 near miss shocked the country, but polling showed sharp partisan divides even in the case of the near assassination of a presidential candidate. Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025 Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized the urgency of modernizing the system, citing recent crashes and near misses. Rick Barrett, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025 The most recent example of a near miss at Austin’s airport was in February 2023, when a FedEx cargo plane almost collided with a Southwest Airlines flight carrying over 100 passengers. Beck Andrew Salgado, Austin American Statesman, 4 July 2025 The target is small and even a near miss can have little effect. David Hambling, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for near miss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for near miss
Noun
  • In a video shared on social media, the hockey team shared the close call between a wild grizzly bear and the team’s mascot, Buoy the sea troll, while the team was out fly fishing in Alaska’s Katmai National Park, according to UPI.
    Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Mozambique, currently ranked fourth on the continent, is still seeking its first AfroBasket title after several close calls.
    Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 26 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 21 Aug. 2025.

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