close only counts in horseshoes

proverb

Coming close to achieving a goal is not good enough.

Similar
a miss is as good as a milenearly never bulled a cow
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Meanings

proverb

alternative close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades · alternative close only counts in horseshoes and darts

  1. Coming close to achieving a goal is not good enough.

    Synonyms: a miss is as good as a mile, nearly never bulled a cow

Synonyms & antonyms

proverbComing close to achieving a goal is not good enough.

Similar
a miss is as good as a milenearly never bulled a cow
Also see
almost doesn't counta miss is as good as a mileclose only counts in horseshoes and dartsnearly never bulled a cownearly never won the race

Origin

Referring to the game of horseshoes.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

close only counts in horseshoes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20only%20counts%20in%20horseshoes

MLA

“close only counts in horseshoes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20only%20counts%20in%20horseshoes. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “close only counts in horseshoes,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20only%20counts%20in%20horseshoes.

Source: close only counts in horseshoes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.