by a hair

1. Also,. Very narrowly. For example, His serve was out by a hair, or We made our flight by a hairbreadth, or Dad missed hitting the pole by a whisker. The first two hyperboles for the very narrowest margin date from the 1300s and 1400s respectively; whisker meaning “a small amount” was first recorded in 1913. Also see by the skin of one's teeth; hang by a hair.

Example Sentences

The older man in sunglasses, Eldon Heller, 70, a retired contractor from Washougal, Wash., wins by a hair.

From Los Angeles Times

For 35 years, Cruise’s super spy Ethan Hunt and his rotating, crackerjack team of rogue agents have been saving the world from annihilation time and time again, skirting death by a hair each time.

From Salon

As of Wednesday, the measure was winning by a hair.

From Los Angeles Times

By a hair’s breadth, it didn’t, although the Germans sank 455 ships in the operation.

From Salon

FiveThirtyEight averages now have Harris up by a hair in Arizona and tied in Georgia.

From Slate

Related Words

• barely 
• comparatively 
• practically 
• rarely 
• seldom 
• simply 
• somewhat