hairbreadth

1 of 2

noun

hair·​breadth ˈher-ˌbretth How to pronounce hairbreadth (audio)
-ˌbreth,
-ˌbredth
variants or hairsbreadth
ˈherz-ˌbretth How to pronounce hairbreadth (audio)
-ˌbreth,
-ˌbredth
: a very small distance or margin

hairbreadth

2 of 2

adjective

: very narrow : close
a hairbreadth escape

Examples of hairbreadth in a Sentence

Noun just missed the bull's-eye by a hairbreadth Adjective a hairbreadth victory, but a victory nevertheless
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Should the electoral officials’ math hold up, the hairbreadth victory is likely to provide only limited comfort to Mr. del Mazo’s party. Kirk Semple and Marina Franco, New York Times, 4 June 2017 The year closed with the hairbreadth victory of a law-and-order Presidential nominee whose Southern strategy of racial politicking remade the electoral map. Jelani Cobb, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2017
Adjective
In the end, Cuellar and his corporate backers carried the day (one marked also by the Uvalde school massacre), albeit by a hairbreadth margin. Andrew Cockburn, Harper’s Magazine , 20 July 2022 That mad quest for immortality is only one thread in an intricate narrative that encompasses witchcraft, impossible transformations, hairbreadth escapes, killer clowns and an assortment of innovative murders. Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2021 Nancy Pelosi will have a hairbreadth four-vote majority in the House with two seats still undecided. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 17 Dec. 2020 The hairbreadth outcome in the race belied its sweeping consequences. Author: Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Mar. 2018

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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1561, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1604, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hairbreadth was in 1561

Dictionary Entries Near hairbreadth

Cite this Entry

“Hairbreadth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hairbreadth. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hairbreadth

noun
hair·​breadth
ˈha(ə)r-ˌbretth,
ˈhe(ə)r-,
-ˌbredth
variants or hairsbreadth
ˈha(ə)rz-,
ˈhe(ə)rz-
: a very small distance or margin
hairbreadth adjective
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