by a hair's breadth

by a hair's breadth

By an extremely short distance or slim margin of time. They're just about to close the gates! It looks like we made the flight by a hair's breadth. The race was neck and neck till the very end, but Sally won it by a hair's breadth.
See also: breadth, by
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • breadth
  • by a neck
  • by a hair
  • by a nose
  • by an eyelash
  • do something by a whisker
  • by a whisker
  • within a hair's breadth of (something)
  • a hair's breadth
  • hair's breadth
References in periodicals archive
If VAR can decide a player has been offside by a hair's breadth, surely it should decide whether or not a keeper has broken the law in order to stop an opponent scoring?
Enforcing rules could go VAR better; mirror.co.uk/sport FRIDAY 21.06.2019 DAILY MIRROR 47 ANDY DUNN Britain's best Sports Writer r
You have each escaped going to prison by a hair's breadth. It is only your previous good character which has prevented it.
Freedombyawhisker
Having survived, albeit by a hair's breadth, with 40 points last season, Shrewsbury would move to the relative comfort of 48 if they can overcome the Minstermen today.
Football: Jemson set for Shrews showdown
A Thornaby man escaped jail "by a hair's breadth" after a knife attack in which two men were injured.
Spared prison for knife attack