close win

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "close win" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a victory that was achieved by a small margin, often in competitive contexts such as sports or elections. Example: "The game ended in a close win for the home team, with only a single point separating them from their opponents."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

39 human-written examples

He got a very close win against Groves because he was losing almost every round.

Independent

In the Jets' other six games, they've managed to pull out close win after close win The Jets trailed at halftime against the Patriots, had a 7-point lead entering the fourth quarter, and won, 28-14.

The New York Times

Last year Leona won the Irish Women's Open Strokeplay title at Elm Park and this was her second Irish Close win in four years.

BBC

UCLA freshman quarterback Josh Rosen looked his age in close win over BYU.

Los Angeles Times

Parseghian called the close win against Hayes and Ohio State "one of Northwestern's greatest victories".

Wikipedia

He's also hoping his team will toss out any thought of overlooking the Falcons, as might have been the case in the Golden Knights' close win over Arcadia.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

21 human-written examples

The Indians have come close, winning five division titles and two pennants at the end of the 1990s.

The New York Times

And the eighth, women's volleyball, came tantalizingly close, winning its last five matches but finishing second, one match behind Yale.

Princeton University

In the end, he came tantalizingly close, winning the sprint and falling inches short of taking the hurdles.

The New York Times - Sports

Those who guess closest win a cash prize.

TechCrunch

Harvard won by 20 feet, the closest winning margin of the day.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a "close win", provide context to illustrate just how narrow the margin of victory was. Specific details such as final scores or key moments can enhance the impact.

Common error

Avoid using "close win" to imply consistent high performance. It specifically describes a single, narrowly achieved victory, not a general trend.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "close win" functions as a noun phrase, where "close" modifies the noun "win". It describes the characteristic of a victory, indicating that it was achieved by a narrow margin. Ludwig examples demonstrate its common usage in sports and political contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Wiki

10%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "close win" effectively communicates that a victory was achieved by a narrow margin, often in a highly competitive environment. Grammatically correct and widely used, as affirmed by Ludwig AI, it appears most frequently in news and media reporting but is also found in academic and general contexts. Alternatives like "narrow victory" and "tight victory" offer similar meanings with slightly different nuances. When using "close win", it's important to provide context to highlight the small difference between winner and loser and to avoid implying overall high performance. In conclusion, the phrase is a versatile and useful way to describe a hard-fought victory.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

narrow victory

Replaces "close" with "narrow", emphasizing the small margin of victory.

tight victory

Substitutes "close" with "tight", conveying a sense of minimal separation between winner and loser.

marginal win

Uses "marginal" instead of "close", highlighting that the win barely exceeded the threshold.

hard-fought victory

Emphasizes the effort required to achieve the win, suggesting a tough competition.

squeaked-out win

Indicates a win obtained with difficulty, often implying luck or last-minute effort.

hard-won victory

Highlights the difficulty and effort involved in securing the victory.

razor-thin win

Uses "razor-thin" to stress the extremely small difference in the outcome.

photo finish

Evokes the imagery of a race where the winner is only determined by a photograph, symbolizing an extremely close outcome.

cliffhanger victory

Implies a win achieved after a tense and uncertain situation, similar to a suspenseful story.

last-minute win

Focuses on the timing of the win, indicating it was secured very near the end of the competition.

FAQs

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

You can use "close win" to describe a game, election, or competition where the victory was achieved by a small margin. For example, "The team secured a "close win" after a tense final quarter".

What are some alternatives to saying "close win"?

You can use alternatives like "narrow victory", "tight victory", or "marginal win" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Which is correct, "close win" or "closely win"?

"Close win" is correct. "Closely" is an adverb and would not be used to describe the noun "win". You would say the game was "closely contested".

What's the difference between "close win" and "easy win"?

A ""close win"" indicates the victory was achieved by a small margin, implying a tight competition. An "easy win", on the other hand, means the victory was achieved without much difficulty, suggesting a significant skill or advantage gap.