narrow escape

1. A barely successful flight from or avoidance of danger or trouble, as in He had a narrow escape, since the bullet came within inches of his head. This expression uses narrow in the sense of “barely sufficient.” [Late 1500s] For a newer synonym, see close call.

Example Sentences

Hers begins with her family’s narrow escape from an occupied village west of Kyiv in the early days of the war.

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There was a narrow escape last season, with Chelsea losing at Newcastle United in the fourth round.

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In the end, there are no dead bodies, no ruined careers, no narrow escapes.

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Norris then had a narrow escape at the final corner when he got his outside front wheel on the grass turning in, and ran wide into the run-off area.

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In the chaos and heartbreak that followed the crash, moments of narrow escape and immense courage stood out.

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Related Words

• close call 
• shocker