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 After years of uncertainty about how a near miss with a near-Earth asteroid actually plays out, major space agencies are now ready to watch, listen and learn with multiple missions to monitor the event. — Andrew Jones, Scientific American, 30 July 2026 Cockpit alarms blared as two Delta Air Lines jets narrowly avoided each other over Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport during a frightening near miss now under federal investigation. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026 But there’s also an overwhelming clarity that comes from witnessing how fragile your own health is and having a few near misses. — Nick Reilly, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026 Objects in space have crashed, or had near misses, in the past. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for near miss
Recent Examples of Synonyms for near miss
  1. close call
  2. close shave
Noun
  • But close calls like this, Mahdi says, are happening more often.
    — Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • For Prescott, a first-time national winner who has spent the last 45 years in the trucking industry, simply reaching Pittsburgh was the result of years of close calls and incremental progress.
    — Alice Barlow, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of close call
Noun
  • The shaver’s gold-foil covers are hypoallergenic and allow for a close shave without harmful lacerations.
    — Bria McNeal, Travel + Leisure, 19 June 2026
  • Villa rely on its revenue to push their limits, so going another year on the outside will mean player sales, budget cuts and very, very close shaves with financial sanctions.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 13 Mar. 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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