as in narrow escapes
a barely successful escape from something undesirable
the passengers in the jeep had a close shave when a mine exploded just a few yards away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of close shaves
Villa rely on its revenue to push their limits, so going another year on the outside will mean player sales, budget cuts and very, very close shaves with financial sanctions.
—
Carl Anka, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The Torreys are accustomed to, pun intended, close shaves.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
Carl Anka, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The Torreys are accustomed to, pun intended, close shaves.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for close shaves
close calls
Noun
-
Then came the injury and a handful of close calls in conference play before a brutal tournament pairing that required five straight wins over teams ranked in the top 17.—
Michael Marot,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
At Rhein Haus, a tape measure settles the close calls.—
Brittany Anas,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Close shaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/close%20shaves. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
