A close call means something bad almost happened, but at the last moment it didn't. You nearly deleted the only copy, just caught the last ferry, a car stopped a metre away. Call isn't a phone call, and close is the adjective near, pronounced with an s sound as in close to. It works for real danger and everyday near misses.
When would you say a close call?
Write a sentence — we'll check that the expression fits the situation and suggest what to fix.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
have a close call; that was a close call
- I almost deleted the only copy. That was a close call.
- We caught the last ferry, but it was a close call.
- The cyclist had a close call when a car door opened beside him.
What changed
First versionWe nearly missed the train; it was close call.
RevisionWe nearly missed the train; it was a close call.
It was close sounds complete on its own, so the a easily disappears: it was close call. But call is a countable noun here, one particular incident: it was a close call. Adding a makes the phrase sound natural.
In the nick of time is about timing, just in time: We arrived in the nick of time. A close call is about the whole incident that almost ended badly. If the train left without you, it's not a close call, just we missed the train.
Your turn
You reached the gate just before it closed and caught your flight. That was ___.
Show the answer
a close call — You caught the flight even though you were nearly late: a close call. A missed flight would mean the plane left without you.
Write about a time when something bad almost happened but was avoided at the last moment.
I caught the glass before it hit the floor; that was a close call.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.