How to Use close call in a Sentence

close call

noun
  • We nearly didn't get out of the burning building. It was a pretty close call, let me tell you!
  • Chelsea had a close call of its own in the 23rd minute.
    — Avi Creditor, SI.com, 14 Aug. 2019
  • But putting it in the No. 1 slot for the year isn’t a close call.
    — Pete Wells, New York Times, 10 Dec. 2019
  • On and on the close calls went before Wingels broke the curse.
    — Paul Skrbina, chicagotribune.com, 10 Dec. 2017
  • But now Hunter-Reay has taken the sting out of many of the close calls.
    — Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, 3 June 2018
  • The good news is that the Seahawks now are on the plus side of the win-loss ledger in the close calls at 3-2.
    — Bob Condotta, The Seattle Times, 27 Nov. 2018
  • And one pro surfer's very close call with a great white shark.
    — NBC News, 8 Oct. 2020
  • Malik Monk over Mitchell was a close call and the wrong one.
    — Rick Bonnell, charlotteobserver, 13 Apr. 2018
  • For the past three years, the close calls have haunted Ryan Hunter-Reay.
    — Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, 3 June 2018
  • And on close calls, you are obliged to choose the course that does not do any good for you.
    — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, 18 Apr. 2018
  • Nadal, the 2017 runner-up, didn't risk any close calls.
    — USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2018
  • Only then did Appling go back and look at the footage of the close call.
    — oregonlive, 29 Dec. 2021
  • Rose doesn’t wilt Justin Rose has had some close calls at Bay Hill.
    — Edgar Thompson, OrlandoSentinel.com, 15 Mar. 2018
  • Second place was a close call at No. 34, but Mack gets the nod over Michaels.
    — Scott Patsko, cleveland, 9 June 2020
  • There had been so many close calls, so many times when Hugo and Jamie thought, This could be the day.
    — David Wolman, Outside Online, 6 Jan. 2020
  • That was going to be the Bulldogs’ one close call, right?
    — Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 17 Apr. 2021
  • The play was one of a few close calls for the speedy Staszkiewicz, who twice in the first half almost scored on long runs.
    — Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 June 2018
  • Thursday’s drone crash, which punched a hole in the plane’s left wing, was a close call, Sweeney said.
    — Alexandra Byrne, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2025
  • The Tigers had a close call at Florida State but left with a 34-28 win.
    — Tim Bielik, cleveland, 22 Oct. 2022
  • There have been close calls in one-versus-16 games before, but this shouldn't be one of them.
    — Patrick Brennan, Cincinnati.com, 15 Mar. 2018
  • But if there's a close call, restraint is the better course.
    — Jeffrey Toobin, CNN, 16 Aug. 2021
  • After the close call, the man released the turtle back into the wild.
    — Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 2 July 2024
  • Is there anything that didn't make it into the episode that was a close call?
    — Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2017
  • Ryan Asselta: This year seems to have been a season of close calls for you.
    — Ryan Asselta, SI.com, 22 Aug. 2019
  • But there were no fights and there were no crashes, even if there were close calls.
    — Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2019
  • The Rangers’ 3-1 lead stood until the ninth, when the Dodgers fell just short of a last-gasp comeback on Pages’ close call at the plate.
    — Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024
  • There’s gunplay, a few close calls, some hot stunts, blah, blah, blah.
    — Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
  • Mack had his first close calls in the air during the European leg.
    — Paul Glenshaw, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 July 2024
  • There was a lot of practice to perfect the climbing, and nobody reported any falls or close calls.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
  • But this is not a close call for any serious attorney or legal scholar.
    — Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'close call.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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