near miss

American  

Or near-miss

noun

1. a strike by a missile that is not a direct hit but is close enough to damage the target.

2. an instance of two vehicles, aircraft, etc., narrowly avoiding a collision.

3. something that falls narrowly short of its object or of success.

   an interesting movie, but a near miss.

---

near miss British  

noun

1. a bomb, shell, etc, that does not exactly hit the target

2. any attempt or shot that just fails to be successful

3. an incident in which two vehicles narrowly avoid collision

---

near miss Idioms  

1. A narrowly avoided mishap; also, an attempt that falls just short of success. For example, It was a near miss for that truck, since the driver had crossed the center strip into on-coming traffic, or Her horse kept having a near miss in every race, so she decided to sell it. This expression originated during World War II, when it signified a bomb exploding in the water near enough to a ship to damage its hull. Soon afterward it acquired its present meanings.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

near miss

But the near miss didn’t scare her away from medbeds.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

Consider this near miss one of James’ greatest postseason achievements.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2026

Ultimately the moment belonged to McIlroy, but Rose won plaudits not just for his golf but his gracious sportsmanship, embracing the victor despite the huge disappointment of yet another near miss.

From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2026

After a 2013 near miss between a helicopter and an airplane in the same location as the January crash, an internal working group recommended that the FAA change a specific helicopter route.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026

Tom was a master of the near miss.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---