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
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Recent Examples of close shaves
The Torreys are accustomed to, pun intended, close shaves.
—
Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for close shaves
close calls
Noun
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Those close calls spurred hard conversations after the ’05 disappointment.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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Similar communication challenges led to some close calls between military aircraft and commercial flights in the Caribbean.—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Close shaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/close%20shaves. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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