near miss

American  

Or near-miss

noun

1. a strike by a missile that is not a direct hit but is close enough to damage the target.

2. an instance of two vehicles, aircraft, etc., narrowly avoiding a collision.

3. something that falls narrowly short of its object or of success.

   an interesting movie, but a near miss.

---

near miss British  

noun

1. a bomb, shell, etc, that does not exactly hit the target

2. any attempt or shot that just fails to be successful

3. an incident in which two vehicles narrowly avoid collision

---

near miss Idioms  

1. A narrowly avoided mishap; also, an attempt that falls just short of success. For example, It was a near miss for that truck, since the driver had crossed the center strip into on-coming traffic, or Her horse kept having a near miss in every race, so she decided to sell it. This expression originated during World War II, when it signified a bomb exploding in the water near enough to a ship to damage its hull. Soon afterward it acquired its present meanings.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

near miss

He said Monday’s near miss would not stop him from getting back in the air.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

After a 2013 near miss between a helicopter and an airplane in the same location as the January crash, an internal working group recommended that the FAA change a specific helicopter route.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026

After the terror of the incident, Ulasewicz said the revelation that his plane was involved in a near miss changed his emotions to anger.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2025

A recent video on social media showed a near miss with an Audi on the A34 roundabout near Alderley Edge.

From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2025

Tom was a master of the near miss.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer