near miss
noun
variants
or less commonly near-miss
1
a
: a miss (as with a bomb) close enough to cause damage
b
: something that falls just short of success
2
a
: a near collision (as between aircraft)
b
Examples of near miss in a Sentence
After years of near misses, the team has finally won a championship.
a near miss with death prompted him to give up skydiving
Recent Examples on the Web
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized the urgency of modernizing the system, citing recent crashes and near misses.
—
Rick Barrett, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
The most recent example of a near miss at Austin’s airport was in February 2023, when a FedEx cargo plane almost collided with a Southwest Airlines flight carrying over 100 passengers.
—Beck Andrew Salgado, Austin American Statesman, 4 July 2025
The target is small and even a near miss can have little effect.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
The famous 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was a harrowing near miss, but today’s nuclear dangers are more complex.
—Robert A. Pape, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for near miss
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Rick Barrett, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
The most recent example of a near miss at Austin’s airport was in February 2023, when a FedEx cargo plane almost collided with a Southwest Airlines flight carrying over 100 passengers.
—Beck Andrew Salgado, Austin American Statesman, 4 July 2025
The target is small and even a near miss can have little effect.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
The famous 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was a harrowing near miss, but today’s nuclear dangers are more complex.
—Robert A. Pape, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for near miss
Cite this Entry
“Near miss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near%20miss. Accessed 9 Aug. 2025.
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