as in narrow escapes
a barely successful escape from something undesirable
the doctor said I'd had a close call, and was lucky to be alive
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Recent Examples of close calls
While there have been no avalanche deaths recorded in Colorado so far this season, there have been serious accidents and several close calls.
—
The Vail Daily, Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2026
One girl slipped and nearly fell Thursday morning, and Watkins said there have been several close calls since schools reopened.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
There have also been numerous close calls over the years, including in recent memory.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Recall the close calls in the playoffs, a pair of three-point victories against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the 49ers in the divisional round and NFC title game?
—Mirjam Swanson The Orange County Register, Arkansas Online, 22 Jan. 2026
North Carolina matters a great deal, because fewer than a dozen Senate seats are in contention at all, and only a handful are close calls; the others are in states that are solidly red or blue.
—Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026
After plenty of close calls on the first 11 passing attempts of the game, Stroud finally threw an interception on the Texans’ third drive.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
Hubble has, however, faced several close calls in recent years, as the observatory’s hardware ages in the harsh environment of space.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
Lead changes and close calls The late-game action was unprecedented.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
The Vail Daily, Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2026
One girl slipped and nearly fell Thursday morning, and Watkins said there have been several close calls since schools reopened.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
There have also been numerous close calls over the years, including in recent memory.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Recall the close calls in the playoffs, a pair of three-point victories against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the 49ers in the divisional round and NFC title game?
—Mirjam Swanson The Orange County Register, Arkansas Online, 22 Jan. 2026
North Carolina matters a great deal, because fewer than a dozen Senate seats are in contention at all, and only a handful are close calls; the others are in states that are solidly red or blue.
—Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026
After plenty of close calls on the first 11 passing attempts of the game, Stroud finally threw an interception on the Texans’ third drive.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
Hubble has, however, faced several close calls in recent years, as the observatory’s hardware ages in the harsh environment of space.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
Lead changes and close calls The late-game action was unprecedented.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for close calls
close shaves
Noun
-
The Torreys are accustomed to, pun intended, close shaves.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Close calls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/close%20calls. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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