near thing

Từ điển tiếng Anh - Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary

▪ I. ˌnear ˈthing UK noun only singular UK
a situation in which you almost failed to achieve something and only just succeeded
• We beat them but it was a near thing.
See also near miss
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Winning and defeating ↑Scoring, winning and losing in sport
 
▪ II. a close/near thing idiom UK ( mainly US a close call )
something which almost happened
• The car just missed the child but it was a very close thing.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Events and occurrences ↑Accidents and disasters
Main entry: thing_idiom