near thing
Barely avoided disaster
A near thing is an outcome that almost didn't happen, or a disaster narrowly avoided.
The phrase emphasizes how close the margin was: It was a near thing—another inch and the bullet would have hit him.
More common in British than American English, where close call dominates.
- close callDisaster narrowly averted
- close shaveNarrow escape from harm
- narrow escapeBarely avoiding disaster
- touch-and-goUncertain and risky
- squeakerBarely-won contest
skin of your teeth · knife-edge · narrow squeak · cliffhanger · down to the wire · shave · hairbreadth · too close for comfort · brinkmanship · peril · narrow · photo finish · marginal · hairy · hazard · gamble · razor's edge · on thin ice
- close callsclose call, narrow escape, close shave, nick of time, skin of teeth
certainty of result
near thingforegone conclusion
Result assumed beforehand
sure thing · certainty · dead cert · lock · slam dunk