within an ace of something/of doing something

within an ace of (doing) something

and within a hair('s breadth) of something

very close to doing something. I came within an ace of getting into an accident. We were within an ace of beating the all-time record. We were within a hair's breadth of beating the all-time record.

See also: ace, of, within

within an ace of

Also, within an inch of. Very close to, within a narrow margin of, as in We were within an ace of calling you, but we'd lost your phone number, or We were within an inch of buying tickets for that concert. The first term refers to the ace of dice, that is, the one pip on a die. The lowest number one can throw with a pair of dice is two (two aces), a throw that is within an ace of one. The term began to be used for other kinds of near miss by about 1700.

See also: ace, of, within

within an ace of

very close to.

Ace here has the figurative meaning of ‘a tiny amount’ and is used with reference to the single spot on the playing card. The phrase was first recorded in the early 18th century.

See also: ace, of, within