a close victory

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a close victory" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where the winning margin in a competition or contest is very small, indicating that the outcome was nearly a tie. Example: "The game ended with a score of 3-2, marking a close victory for the home team."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

30 human-written examples

That's scheduled for Sept. 20 in Las Vegas and is a rematch of their fight a year ago that brought Mayweather a close victory.

Los Angeles Times

A close victory over a heated rival, with no interceptions and a 63percentt completion rate.

The New York Times - Sports

The government may yet eke out a close victory, particularly if it can leverage its "status quo" advantage.

Independent

After a close victory over Syracuse, the team upset NYU in the semifinals and Army in the finals to return to Nationals.

Columbia University

ILLINI'S CHARMED RUN In the title game, Illinois will close its charmed season with a close victory over Connecticut.

The New York Times

A close victory might not be much better, indicating that there is no national consensus on what the constitution should be.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

30 human-written examples

In a presidential race this close, victory might well go to the candidate who demonstrates that he will surround himself with proven, nationally respected problem solvers.

The New York Times - Arts

He did not play a significant role in the close victory of the Socialist-Liberal coalinion in 2002.

The Guardian

By the fourth round, however, only Chen took the winning match, a close 5-4 victory.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Raiders eked out a close 3-2 victoverover Musselman last week.

The Washington Post

Similarly, last weekend in Texas Doncaster's Jamie McDonnell claimed a close points victory when defending his WBA bantamweight title against Japan's Tomoki Kameda, despite suffering a third round knock-down.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a close victory" to emphasize the narrow margin by which a win was achieved. This adds drama and highlights the competitive nature of the situation.

Common error

Avoid using "a close victory" in contexts where the closeness is already implied. For example, saying "a close and narrow victory" is redundant. Choose either "close" or "narrow" to avoid unnecessary repetition.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a close victory" functions as a noun phrase, acting as the subject or object of a sentence. It describes a specific instance of winning where the margin is small. Ludwig examples illustrate this usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Academia

26%

Wiki

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a close victory" is a noun phrase used to describe a win achieved by a narrow margin. Ludwig AI analysis confirms its grammatical correctness and usability in various contexts, particularly in news, academic, and wiki sources. While not extremely common, the phrase is well-understood and adds a layer of tension and excitement to the description of an event. Consider using alternatives like "narrow win" or "hard-fought victory" for variety, and be mindful of avoiding redundancy in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a narrow win

Focuses on the small difference in the outcome, using "win" instead of "victory".

a hard-fought victory

Highlights the effort and difficulty involved in achieving the victory.

a tightly contested win

Emphasizes the competitive nature and closeness of the competition.

a marginal victory

Indicates that the victory was achieved by the smallest possible margin.

a squeaked-out win

Suggests a victory that was barely achieved, often implying luck or last-minute effort.

a near-run thing

An idiomatic expression emphasizing how close the outcome was to being a loss.

a photo finish

Refers to a race so close that a photograph is needed to determine the winner; implies extreme closeness.

an edge-of-the-seat victory

Conveys the excitement and tension associated with a very close and uncertain victory.

a nail-biting win

Highlights the anxiety and suspense experienced during the closely contested event.

a wafer-thin victory

Emphasizes the extremely small margin of victory, using the metaphor of a very thin wafer.

FAQs

How can I use "a close victory" in a sentence?

You can use "a close victory" to describe a situation where the winning margin is very small. For example: "The team secured "a close victory" after a hard-fought game."

What are some alternatives to "a close victory"?

Alternatives include "a narrow win", "a hard-fought victory", or "a tightly contested win".

Is it correct to say "a closely victory"?

No, the correct phrase is "a close victory". The adjective "close" modifies the noun "victory". "Closely" is an adverb and would not be grammatically correct in this context.

What is the difference between "a close victory" and "a decisive victory"?

"A close victory" indicates a narrow margin of winning, whereas "a decisive victory" implies a clear and unambiguous win with a large margin.