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Synonyms

close call

American  
[klohs] / kloʊs /

noun

  1. a narrow escape from danger or trouble.

close call British  
/ kləʊs /

noun

  1. another expression for close shave

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
close call Idioms  

  1. Also, close shave. Narrow escape, near miss. For example, That skier just missed the tree—what a close call, or That was a close shave, nearly leaving your passport behind. The first phrase dates from the late 1800s and comes from sports, alluding to an official's decision (call) that could have gone either way. The second, from the early 1800s, alludes to the narrow margin between closely shaved skin and a razor cut. (This latter usage replaced the much earlier equation of a close shave with miserliness, based on the idea that a close shave by a barber meant one would not have to spend money on another shave quite so soon.) Also see too close for comfort.

Etymology

Origin of close call

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The federal review comes after a series of high-profile midair crashes and close calls reignited a nationwide debate over air safety.

From Los Angeles Times

Even with my close call, like, that one angered me, because you start to think about things.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a close call, but ultimately I’m on your side.

From MarketWatch

He’s never personally experienced any close calls with a jet landing at Burbank, but he is very aware of the tight parameters and teaches his flight students how to safely navigate the overlapping Burbank flights.

From Los Angeles Times

There were close calls -- grand jury investigations, lawsuits and a skeptical chief or two -- but they endured through the 1950s.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.