perilously close to

idiom

somewhat formal

: at or to a point where one is in great danger of (something happening)

The company was perilously close to bankruptcy.

She came perilously close to drowning.

Examples of perilously close to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Takedowns of opposing views get praised in activist circles and upvoted on social media, and civilly engaging with the other side can feel perilously close to endorsing harmful beliefs. —

Elizabeth Svoboda, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024 Just a few years ago, Greece came perilously close to defaulting on its debts and exiting the eurozone. —

Pavlos Eleftheriadis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2014 But after an initial period of activity, SAARC has crept perilously close to obsolescence. —

Happymon Jacob, Foreign Affairs, 22 July 2024 The 30-year-old athlete badly broke his finger after he was hit by a hockey stick during a training session in Perth two weeks ago, perilously close to the 2024 Paris Games. —

Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 26 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for perilously close to

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“Perilously close to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perilously%20close%20to. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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