close but no cigar
A narrowly missed success, as in That ball was definitely out—close but no cigar. This interjection alludes to awarding a cigar to the winner of some competition, such as hitting a target. [Slang; early 1900s]
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
roughly, virtually, approximately, practically, most, about, closely, well-nigh, approaching, circa, much, round, roundly, some, somewhere
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.