near miss

Noun

near miss (plural near misses)

1. A miss which was nearly a hit or collision.
   • […] two aircraft, one flying level across the field, another climbing after a missed approach, had an extremely near miss, in my estimation, less than 50 feet, before the lower pilot saw the higher aircraft and broke violently to the right in the darkness.1978, John F. Hilgenberg, quotee, edited by Arthur J. C. Lavalle, Last flight from Saigon, USAF, page 101
   • The first wave, 24 dive bombers, fell on her through broken clouds; she took two hits and an uncomfortably close near miss.2000, Samuel B. Griffith, The Battle for Guadalcanal, University of Illinois Press, →ISBN, page 177

   Synonyms:

   airmiss

2. (broadly) A scenario which ends safely but might well have ended in disaster.
   • In recent years there have been two fatalities and one near miss due to the inappropriate use of boom trucks.2009 April 27, Mine Safety, Health Administration, Failure to Operate Boom Trucks Safely Using Proper Procedures
   • As in New York City’s Times Square seven months ago, hundreds of innocent bystanders might have been killed. Fortunately, the would-be terrorist was the only fatality.2010 December 14, “Sweden's Near Miss”, in New York Times, A, page 34

   Synonyms:

   close shave, narrow escape

3. (broadly) An attempt which fails narrowly; a performance which falls just short of a certain benchmark.
   • Dean Chance […] wasn't crying over his near miss of a no-hitter Monday night.1962 September 11, “No Chance Tears After Near Miss”, in Lawrence Journal-World, Lawrence, Kansas, page 16
   • Italy know they cannot wallow in the disappointment of last week's agonising near miss against Ireland.2011 February 11, Robert Kitson, “Six Nations 2011: Luke McLean happy to swap green and gold for blue”, in The Guardian, London