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
But a near miss, Jansen Harkins’ tip attempt that hit the post, and some misfortune made it so that the Rangers garnered the first goal of the game.
—
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2025
Thursday’s episode comes after a series of incidents in recent weeks, including near misses, crash landings and accidents, including the fatal collision of an American Airlines plane and a US Army helicopter in Washington, DC.
—Aaron Cooper, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
The Bruins’ recent history has been defined by near misses, including the latest loss to the Trojans.
—Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 10 Mar. 2025
That was about as dangerous as St. Louis was for the duration, save for a couple of other near misses.
—Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for near miss
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Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2025
Thursday’s episode comes after a series of incidents in recent weeks, including near misses, crash landings and accidents, including the fatal collision of an American Airlines plane and a US Army helicopter in Washington, DC.
—Aaron Cooper, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
The Bruins’ recent history has been defined by near misses, including the latest loss to the Trojans.
—Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 10 Mar. 2025
That was about as dangerous as St. Louis was for the duration, save for a couple of other near misses.
—Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2025
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 13 Apr. 2025.
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