win by a nose

verb

To win by a small margin; to have a narrow victory.

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Meanings

verbwin by a nose (third-person singular simple present wins by a nose, present participle winning by a nose, simple past and past participle won by a nose)

present singular third person wins by a nose · participle present winning by a nose · participle past won by a nose · past won by a nose

  1. idiomaticTo win by a small margin; to have a narrow victory.

Origin

From horse racing, where the winning horse is slightly ahead, and the length of the nose separates it from the runner-up.

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Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“win by a nose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/win%20by%20a%20nose. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

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

Source: win by a nose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.