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
Sounds like a long way, but in space, that’s a near miss.
—
James Wray, Discover Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024
Back then, there were near misses and clear red flags about the ground’s suitability.
—Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 8 Aug. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for near miss 
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James Wray, Discover Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024
Back then, there were near misses and clear red flags about the ground’s suitability.
—Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 8 Aug. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for near miss
Articles Related to near miss
Dictionary Entries Near near miss
Cite this Entry
“Near miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near%20miss. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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