close shave

Meanings

nounclose shave (plural close shaves)

A shave that is very short or near the skin.
He used a new razor blade for a good close shave.
Synonyms: close call, close thing, narrow escape, narrow squeak, near shave, near thing
figurativelyA near accident or mishap; a dangerous or risky encounter or incident.
I had a close shave with somebody who pulled out in front of me on the road, but I swerved and managed not to hit him.

nounA shave that is very short or near the skin.

nounsomething achieved (or escaped) by a narrow margin

Broader

Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Finnish läheltä piti -tilanne

German um ein Haar Davonkommen

Hungarian (egy) hajszálon múlik/múlt/múlott, épp/éppen hogy/csak megússza/megúszta

Norwegian Bokmål nestenulykke, nære på

Polish but see mało brakowało, było blisko

Slovak o chlp

Spanish escape por los pelos

Swedish nära ögat

Cite this entry

APA

close shave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20shave

MLA

“close shave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20shave. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “close shave,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%20shave.