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
In December 2025 China reported a near miss between one of its satellites and a Starlink satellite.
—
Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
More than two decades of near misses have piled substantial pressure on people within the club and the fans supporting from the outside.
—Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
These killings—and dozens of other attempts and near misses in many countries—have disgusted decent people and embarrassed even many who hold otherwise anti-Jewish views.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Yet after that near miss, Montreal delivered a direct hit and then another after Trevor Moore took an untimely slashing penalty.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for near miss
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Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
More than two decades of near misses have piled substantial pressure on people within the club and the fans supporting from the outside.
—Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
These killings—and dozens of other attempts and near misses in many countries—have disgusted decent people and embarrassed even many who hold otherwise anti-Jewish views.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Yet after that near miss, Montreal delivered a direct hit and then another after Trevor Moore took an untimely slashing penalty.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
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 23 Mar. 2026.
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