win by a nose
Edge out narrowly
To win by a nose is to win by the smallest possible margin.
The phrase comes from horse racing, where finish-line photos sometimes show one horse's nose ahead of another.
It extends to any narrow victory: She won the election by a nose.
The expression emphasizes how close the competition was—a slightly different outcome could have reversed the result.
- photo finishRace decided by camera
- too close to callUndecidable by current count
- down to the wireUnresolved until the final moment
- neck and neckExactly even in competition
- trackPath or monitored route
edge · razor-thin · hairbreadth · rush · come from behind · whisker · close shave · sprint · line · narrowly · victory · squeaker · racing · neck · close call · triumph · hanging by a thread · nip and tuck
- racing termsbackstretch, checkered flag, daily double, dead heat, exacta
- Horse Idiomshold your horses, dark horse, high horse, straight from the horse's mouth, horse sense