How to Use perilously close to in a Sentence

perilously close to

idiom
  • On his sonar, Kerby saw that the Pisces had flown perilously close to the crater’s wall.
    Susan Casey, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Aug. 2023
  • The weather was rough, and strong winds pushed the two schooners perilously close to the disabled steamer.
    Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 6 Mar. 2023
  • Plus, anything that goes on your face can be perilously close to your eyes, nose, and mouth.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2021
  • The tow arrived and tried to assist by midmorning, but by that time the boat was perilously close to the reef and the seas too rocky.
    Kristina Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2022
  • And then there’s the wildfires themselves, which this year came perilously close to many tree farms.
    oregonlive, 26 Nov. 2020
  • Vlad had saved the last box for his grandparents, who lived nearby, in a house perilously close to the river.
    Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 23 July 2022
  • The Ravens lost Lamar Jackson to a knee injury and came perilously close to a defeat that would have cast doubt on their playoff chances.
    Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 5 Dec. 2022
  • A couple of notable tech CEOs are sailing perilously close to that line.
    Bydavid Meyer, Fortune, 15 June 2023
  • The vase rested on a credenza placed perilously close to the trajectory of the bed.
    Patricia Marx, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
  • The whole thing was fun to watch, but also felt perilously close to an extended music video.
    Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 10 June 2022
  • High temperatures across the state on Tuesday were mostly in the 90s -- and some spots came perilously close to the triple-digit mark.
    Leigh Morgan, al, 20 Sep. 2022
  • The war in the Middle East that erupted last October is perilously close to widening.
    Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 June 2024
  • But between that and all this episode’s jokes about the headaches of democracy, the show is veering perilously close to being pro-Empire.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2023
  • That day, Knebel came perilously close to missing her chance to say later that her life of despair turned into a life of beauty.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2022
  • Today, the lake is perilously close to dead pool status, when the reservoir dips below 895 feet and is so low that water cannot flow downstream from the Hoover Dam.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 25 July 2022
  • In the weeks since Israel and Iran came perilously close to war, other developments have for the moment pushed the episode into the background.
    Ali M. Ansari, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2024
  • That road sits perilously close to the Nisqually River, running wild as the once-forever ice rivers of Mount Rainier disappear.
    Somini Sengupta, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The artist behind the work, _n.a.l, posted a brief video of his handiwork, with Drake sitting stock still as the tattoo gun floated perilously close to his eye.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Aug. 2022
  • The pandemic brought dark times: The bar remained perilously close to insolvency for much of 2020.
    Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2022
  • Three separate, smaller fires broke out in Yavuz’s village, one perilously close to her hives.
    Katie Nadworny, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2022
  • The idea comes perilously close to becoming a gimmick that has worn out its welcome, but director David Reed’s fine cast has the timing and rhythm right.
    Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2022
  • Gas prices are getting perilously close to $4 per gallon, seen as a tipping point for Americans, AAA said.
    Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2023
  • Taken out of context, the seeming mysticism comes perilously close to kitsch.
    Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 9 May 2022
  • The kitchen's cabinetry had grown dated, and the space included a peninsula cooktop whose rear burners were perilously close to the dinette.
    Andria Hayday, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2021
  • The postseason heartbeat that was rediscovered with that dramatic win over the Rams is perilously close to going away for good.
    Michael Lerseth, SFChronicle.com, 7 Dec. 2020
  • That came perilously close to happening in October 1993, when Yeltsin sent tanks into the center of Moscow to shell the parliament building that had been seized by armed rebels.
    Andrew Higgins, BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2023
  • Experts have warned that the government is coming perilously close to defaulting on its foreign debt.
    Shaiq Hussain, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2023
  • Highsmith’s salary might also put Miami perilously close to the second apron, if the open market proves lucrative.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024
  • His ship rolled perilously close to the water’s edge during a terrifying typhoon that sank other vessels and sickened his crew.
    Sig Christenson, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Dec. 2021
  • Health workers are cautioning Utahns about the dangers of full ICUs, which remain perilously close to being understaffed.
    Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Dec. 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perilously close to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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