Close, but no cigar

1. Even a near miss is still a miss. The saying probably originated with carnival contests in which a cigar was the prize for hitting a target.

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

It’s been close, but close but no cigar, so I’m going to keep working and try to get it one day.”

Read more on Seattle Times

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.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Yet as the aforementioned actress might have said over the years after the Oscar ceremony, Close but no cigar.

Read more on Seattle Times

“We can’t talk about not getting them without talking about the missed opportunities,” Morris said, “the close but no cigar type of things.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“At pretty much every level in the buildup of the painting,” said Wieseman, “it’s ‘close, but no cigar.’

Read more on Washington Post

Related Words

• approximately 
• practically 
• roughly 
• virtually