by a short head

by a short head

By an extremely slim or narrow margin. The race was neck and neck till the very end, but Sally won it by a short head. They started to make a startling comeback in the second half, but the defending champions managed to hold them off by a short head at the final moments of the game. Ah, she lost the gold medal by a short head when her leg cramped in the last few meters.

See also: by, head, short

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

win, lose, etc. by a short ˈhead

win, lose, etc. but by only a little: The competition was tough but the winner by a short head was John Smith.This expression refers to a close finish in horse racing.

See also: by, head, short

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017