perilously close to
idiom
somewhat formal
: at or to a point where one is in great danger of (something happening)
The company was perilously close to bankruptcy.
She came perilously close to drowning.
Examples of perilously close to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After all, being famous for your ineffable qualities is perilously close to being famous for no reason.
—
Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Cape Town, South Africa, came perilously close to running out of fresh water for its nearly 5 million people in 2018 during an epic, three-year drought.
—Rodrique Ngowi, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Earlier in the week, the European AI model had the storm coming perilously close to the Carolinas.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
As pointed out by Gatis Pavils at Wondermondo, this giant gem of a blue gum is almost perilously close to clearcut areas.
—Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perilously close to
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Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Cape Town, South Africa, came perilously close to running out of fresh water for its nearly 5 million people in 2018 during an epic, three-year drought.
—Rodrique Ngowi, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Earlier in the week, the European AI model had the storm coming perilously close to the Carolinas.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
As pointed out by Gatis Pavils at Wondermondo, this giant gem of a blue gum is almost perilously close to clearcut areas.
—Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perilously close to
Cite this Entry
“Perilously close to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perilously%20close%20to. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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