by a hair's breadth

prepositional phrase

By a narrow margin.

Similar
by the skin of one's teethwithin an inch of one's life
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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. idiomaticBy a narrow margin.

    Synonyms: by the skin of one's teeth, within an inch of one's life

Synonyms & antonyms

prepositional phraseBy a narrow margin.

Similar
by the skin of one's teethwithin an inch of one's life
Also see
by the skin of one's teeth

Origin

See hair's breadth.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish karvan verran
  • karvan verranby a narrow margin
French à deux doigts, à un cheveu
  • à deux doigtsby a narrow margin
  • à un cheveuby a narrow margin
  • à un poilby a narrow margin
German um ein Haar, um Haaresbreite
  • um ein Haarby a narrow margin
  • um Haaresbreiteby a narrow margin
Hindi बाल-बाल
  • बाल-बाल (bāl-bāl)by a narrow margin
Hungarian egy hajszállal
  • egy hajszállalby a narrow margin
Irish idir cleith agus ursain
  • idir cleith agus ursainby a narrow margin
Polish o włos
  • o włosby a narrow margin
Portuguese por um fio, por um triz
  • por um fioby a narrow margin
  • por um trizby a narrow margin
Spanish por un pelo
  • por un peloby a narrow margin
Swedish med en hårsmån
  • med en hårsmånby a narrow margin
Tamil நூலிழையில், மயிரிழையில்
  • நூலிழையில் (nūliḻaiyil)by a narrow margin
  • மயிரிழையில் (mayiriḻaiyil)by a narrow margin
Cite this entry
APA

by a hair's breadth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20a%20hair's%20breadth

MLA

“by a hair's breadth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20a%20hair's%20breadth. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “by a hair's breadth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20a%20hair's%20breadth.

Source: by a hair's breadth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.