near miss

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Shelton has had plenty of near misses, which made this victory feel like a breakthrough. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026 The near miss raised questions about why the commercial flight was cleared for takeoff while Marine One was preparing to depart, a period when airline traffic is typically halted around presidential helicopter operations. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 East Carolina University gambling researcher Michelle Malkin pointed to anticipation, near misses and rapid repetition. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026 At least two ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz in the past week, while several others reported near misses or warnings from entities claiming to represent Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, according to maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for near miss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for near miss
  1. close call
  2. close shave
Noun
  • Navigating Townsends Inlet in New Jersey has gotten so tricky that boat captains are reporting close calls with the bridge.
    — Joe Holden, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Polls show a close call, but Prop 40 has already caused some of California’s wealthy to flee the state.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of close call
Noun
  • German consumer products company Braun spent more than 10 years rethinking the trade-off between a close shave and a comfortable one.
    — Nina Derwin, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Gesturing to the youngish man with the close shave, a simple come hither.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of close shave

Browse Nearby Words

nearly
near miss
near misses
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Cite this Entry

“Near miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/near%20miss. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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