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Synonyms

near miss

American  
Or near-miss

noun

  1. a strike by a missile that is not a direct hit but is close enough to damage the target.

  2. an instance of two vehicles, aircraft, etc., narrowly avoiding a collision.

  3. something that falls narrowly short of its object or of success.

    an interesting movie, but a near miss.
near miss British  

noun

  1. a bomb, shell, etc, that does not exactly hit the target

  2. any attempt or shot that just fails to be successful

  3. an incident in which two vehicles narrowly avoid collision

"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
near miss Idioms  

  1. A narrowly avoided mishap; also, an attempt that falls just short of success. For example, It was a near miss for that truck, since the driver had crossed the center strip into on-coming traffic, or Her horse kept having a near miss in every race, so she decided to sell it. This expression originated during World War II, when it signified a bomb exploding in the water near enough to a ship to damage its hull. Soon afterward it acquired its present meanings.

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.

"This is not a long term resilient and sustainable route and there have been several near miss incidents on this narrow bridge."

From BBC

Since that 2022 near miss, Team Mouat have come to dominate men's curling, winning two World Championships and adding another couple of European crowns, as well as a record 12 Grand Slam titles.

From BBC

Ellis Pears, 19, was driving down a country road in November 2024 when his life "completely changed" after a near miss with a car caused his own vehicle to flip, leaving him concussed.

From BBC

The scrutiny on Gyokeres has been high since the moment he signed, with the club desperate to win a trophy after so many near misses.

From BBC

“Torrance Refinery had an enormous explosion, and a piece of equipment the size of a bus came within five feet of the hydrofluoric acid, causing a near miss,” Goldsmith said.

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.