within a hair's breadth of (something)

within a hair's breadth of (something)

Extremely close to doing, achieving, or obtaining something, typically having failed by a very narrow margin. I came within a hair's breadth of winning that race, but I guess I'll have to settle for second place. They were within a hair's breadth of defeat when the quarterback threw a Hail Mary for a last-second touchdown. Crude oil prices came within a hair's breadth of $80 a barrel on Friday, threatening to plunge markets around the globe further into recession.
See also: breadth, of, within
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • within a hair of (something)
  • within an ace of
  • within an ace of (doing) (something)
  • within an ace of doing something
  • within an ace of something
  • within an ace of something/of doing something
  • breadth
  • by a hair's breadth
  • come within a hair's breadth of (someone or something)
  • hair's breadth