do something by a whisker

by a whisker

By an extremely short or slim margin (of distance, time, or another measure). They're just about to close the gates! It looks like we made the flight by a whisker. The race was neck and neck till the very end, but Sally won it by a whisker. Hundreds of people avoided death by a mere whisker when their apartment building caught on fire in the middle of the night.

See also: by, whisker

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

do something by a ˈwhisker

(informal) do something, but nearly fail; do something, but only just: He missed the first prize by a whisker. ♢ You escaped serious injury by a whisker, so consider yourselves very lucky.

See also: by, something, whisker

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017