close but no cigar
Almost but not
Close but no cigar describes an attempt that nearly succeeds but ultimately falls short: You guessed 47, and the answer was 48—close but no cigar.
The phrase acknowledges how near the miss was while confirming failure.
It comes from carnival games that once awarded cigars as prizes.
Short of completely
- nearlyAlmost but incomplete
- near missNarrowly averted incident
- fell shortFailed to reach goal
- not quiteSlightly short of completely
hair's breadth · within reach · on the brink · near thing · by a whisker
Failure to satisfy expectations
- disappointmentSadness from unmet expectations
- setbackReverse in progress
- defeatVictory over another
- shortfallFailure to reach quota
miss · also-ran · runner-up · second place · consolation prize · honorable mention · missed opportunity · heartbreaker
Repeat an effort
- next timeThe subsequent occurrence
- good effortPraise for attempting
- nice tryIronic concession to failure
- keep goingMaintain forward progress
don't give up · one more shot · persistence · determination · resilience · bounce back · stay positive
almost
Short of completely
- nearlyAlmost but incomplete
- near missNarrowly averted incident
- fell shortFailed to reach goal
not quite · hair's breadth · within reach · on the brink · near thing · by a whisker
letdown
Failure to satisfy expectations
- disappointmentSadness from unmet expectations
- setbackReverse in progress
- defeatVictory over another
shortfall · miss · also-ran · runner-up · second place · consolation prize · honorable mention · missed opportunity · heartbreaker · tough break
try again
Repeat an effort
- next timeThe subsequent occurrence
- good effortPraise for attempting
- nice tryIronic concession to failure
keep going · don't give up · one more shot · persistence · determination · resilience · bounce back · stay positive
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- sarcastic responsesyeah right, dream on, fat chance, sure thing, as if
close but no cigardead on
Precisely correct
spot on · exact match · perfect fit · bang on · on the money
close but no cigarby the skin of one's teeth
Succeeding with minimal margin
just in time · clutch · snatched victory from the jaws of defeat
close, closer, closest, closely, closeness, closing, closed, closure, enclose