near miss
noun
variants
or less commonly near-miss
1
a
: a miss (as with a bomb) close enough to cause damage
b
: something that falls just short of success
2
a
: a near collision (as between aircraft)
b
Examples of near miss in a Sentence
After years of near misses, the team has finally won a championship.
a near miss with death prompted him to give up skydiving
Recent Examples on the Web
The game was full of big plays, near misses and intense action, and Star photographers were on the sideline to capture it all.
—
Kansas City Star, 23 Nov. 2025
After nine long weeks of near misses, the curse has finally been broken by wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, with social media personality Dylan Efron, influencer Alix Earle, and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt close behind.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Nov. 2025
After four decades of near misses, he’s learned that killing an animal isn’t the best part of a hunt.
—Devon O’Neil, Outside, 15 Oct. 2025
If a couple of near misses hadn’t been slightly off target, Roldan could have added a pair of goals for good measure.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near miss
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Kansas City Star, 23 Nov. 2025
After nine long weeks of near misses, the curse has finally been broken by wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, with social media personality Dylan Efron, influencer Alix Earle, and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt close behind.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Nov. 2025
After four decades of near misses, he’s learned that killing an animal isn’t the best part of a hunt.
—Devon O’Neil, Outside, 15 Oct. 2025
If a couple of near misses hadn’t been slightly off target, Roldan could have added a pair of goals for good measure.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near miss
Cite this Entry
“Near miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near%20miss. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
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