narrow escape

Idioms and Phrases

A barely successful flight from or avoidance of danger or trouble, as in He had a narrow escape, since the bullet came within inches of his head . This expression uses narrow in the sense of “barely sufficient.” [Late 1500s] For a newer synonym, see close call .

Example Sentences

“For 24 hours, we did not get a single plane over here, a single helicopter, a single fire truck. We saw nobody until 45 minutes to an hour before this was happening,” he said of his family’s narrow escape on Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times

Two days after the shooting, Ms O'Shea told the BBC she was "furious" that an "epic failure" left a man dead and Trump - who she says she would "take a bullet for" - with a narrow escape.

From BBC

The good fortune of Donald Trump’s narrow escape from an assassin is a powerful recent exception to that rule, along with his GOP nomination this week after his 2020 election loss.

From Salon

United’s narrow escape sets up a second straight Manchester derby in the final against defending champion Manchester City, which beat Chelsea on Saturday.

From Seattle Times

There are some marvelous set pieces, including an extended sequence on a claustrophobic boat and a narrow escape from an apartment that ratchet up the tension.

From Salon

Related Words

• close call
• shocker