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breadth

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by a hair's breadth

By an extremely short distance or slim margin of time. They're just about to close the gates! it looks like we made the flight by a hair's breadth. The race was neck and neck till the very end, but Sally won it by a hair's breadth.

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hair's breadth

A very small amount or short length. After wandering around the forest for an hour thinking we were lost, it turned out that we were only a hair's breadth away from our campsite. The seal is air-tight—there's not a hair's breadth between the door and the frame.

See also: breadth

a hair's breadth

a very small distance or amount Enemy forces are within a hair's breadth of the city. We were a hair's breadth away from getting caught. (= we were almost caught)

See also: breadth