Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet as the aforementioned actress might have said over the years after the Oscar ceremony, Close but no cigar.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 26, 2023
Close but no cigar for Gavrilova this time.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 10, 2021
Sept. 6-10: Close but no cigar at Aronimink An opening-round 62 ties for the lead as petitions are immediately filed for Aronimink to host the next 20 U.S.
From Golf Digest ● Dec. 14, 2018
Close, but no cigar for the Caps: A beautiful pass from T.J.
From Washington Post ● May 19, 2018
Close, but no cigar for the Bursaspor man.
From BBC ● May 29, 2011
Stopping Celtic earning 10 titles in a row was enormous but too often it was a case of close but no cigar and at Rangers, that's not good enough.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
It’s been close, but close but no cigar, so I’m going to keep working and try to get it one day.”
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 29, 2023
They’ve made it to the NFC championship game four times since — close but no cigar probably gets pretty old after a while, especially with an all-time great at quarterback.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2023
Since then, it’s been close but no cigar for the Tigers despite winning 10 games in the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference and had a first-team all-ACC performer in both 2014 and 2016.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 24, 2016
Musk described the attempted rocket landing last weekend as "close, but no cigar" — but this assessment doesn't really do these images justice.
From The Verge ● Jan. 16, 2015
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
