near miss

Meaning

Noun

• a miss which was nearly a hit or collision
• a scenario which ends safely but might well have ended in disaster
• an attempt which fails narrowly; a performance which falls just short of a certain benchmark

Related

Similar words

• (nearly a hit) near collision, narrow miss
• (dangerous scenario) close shave, narrow escape, dodge a bullet

Opposite words

• direct hit
• fiasco, rout