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
Longer term residents, after having experienced numerous false alarms and near misses like Irma in 2017, may be similarly unprepared for a direct hit.
—
Terry Spencer, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 2024
Her schedule got jump-started by that near miss at the 2023 Pan Am Games.
—David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2024
Captain Glenn explains to Entertainment Weekly how the sailing yacht encounters either a near miss or a collision due to some inclement weather.
—Gina Ragusa, EW.com, 8 Oct. 2024
In the search for his fifth major title since his most recent triumphs in 2014, McIlroy has had some notable near misses — including at the U.S. Open just last year — but Sunday may have brought the most painful moment of his career.
—Des Bieler, Washington Post, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for near miss 
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Terry Spencer, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 2024
Her schedule got jump-started by that near miss at the 2023 Pan Am Games.
—David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2024
Captain Glenn explains to Entertainment Weekly how the sailing yacht encounters either a near miss or a collision due to some inclement weather.
—Gina Ragusa, EW.com, 8 Oct. 2024
In the search for his fifth major title since his most recent triumphs in 2014, McIlroy has had some notable near misses — including at the U.S. Open just last year — but Sunday may have brought the most painful moment of his career.
—Des Bieler, Washington Post, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for near miss
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Cite this Entry
“Near miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near%20miss. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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