hairbreadth

plural hairbreadths

1. alternativeAlternative form of hair's breadth: the width of a hair, a very short distance or a very small amount.

   His hairbreadth escapes from death; […].

   1856, [William] Wilkie Collins, “Gabriel's Marriage”, in After Dark, volume II, London: Smith, Elder & Co., →OCLC, page 107

   4 more examples

   In short, these kind of hairbreadth missings of happiness look like the insults of Fortune, who may be considered as thus playing tricks with us, and wantonly diverting herself at our expense.

   1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC

   This surely was a day destined to be signalized by hairbreadth escapes.

   1799, Charles Brockden Brown, Edgar Huntly

   […] for the young hero rioted by day, howled by night, ravaged the house from top to bottom, and kept his guardians in a series of panics by his hairbreadth escapes.

   1876, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, chapter 17, in Rose in Bloom […]

   The hairbreadth survival of the attempted assassination.

   2024 July 20, Ross Douthat, “How Trump Sabotaged His Own Apotheosis”, in The New York Times, →ISSN