narrowly avoid

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "narrowly avoid" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to describe a situation where someone avoids or escapes something, usually by a very small margin. For example, "He narrowly avoided being hit by the car."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Public assistance grants helped him pay the rent and narrowly avoid eviction.

The New York Times

At one point, travelling with an Alliance commander, they narrowly avoid being blown up by an American jet.

The Economist

The Kamel's lawyer, Matt Weidner, helped them narrowly avoid the sale of the foreclosure earlier this month.

The Guardian - Money

The OBR reckons that although growth will be much weaker this year and next than had been forecast in March, Britain will narrowly avoid a second recession.

The Economist

And yet only at the 11th hour did last week narrowly avoid being the first in more than 11 years without a $1 billion transaction.

The New York Times

And a proposal to pay for state parks, which narrowly avoid sweeping closings this year, would reintroduce a plan for oil drilling off Santa Barbara.

The New York Times

Economists seemed to suggest that Europe could narrowly avoid falling into a recession, defined as two or more quarters of contraction in the economy.

The New York Times

Her child protagonists, stolid, bumbling middle-class kids with the best of intentions, narrowly avoid the worst of outcomes through their own good natures and occasional magical intervention.

The Guardian - Books

Britain's vast and crucial services sector picked up in February, raising hopes the economy could narrowly avoid dropping into a triple-dip recession.

The Guardian - Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

Each eventuality was narrowly avoided.

The New York Times

Narrowly avoiding sexually transmitted diseases.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "narrowly avoid" to convey a sense of urgency or a close call in preventing an undesirable outcome. It adds impact to your writing by emphasizing the precariousness of the situation.

Common error

While "narrowly avoid" is widely understood, avoid overusing it, especially in formal documents. In business or academic writing, consider more precise and sophisticated alternatives like "effectively mitigated" or "successfully circumvented" depending on the context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "narrowly avoid" functions as a verb phrase indicating the act of successfully preventing something undesirable from occurring by a small margin. Ludwig AI confirms that it is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Science

16%

Wiki

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "narrowly avoid" is a versatile verb phrase used to describe successfully preventing an undesirable outcome by a slim margin. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. It appears frequently in News & Media, Science, and Wiki contexts with a neutral register. Related phrases include "barely escape" and "scarcely avert". When using "narrowly avoid", ensure it clearly conveys the closeness of the averted outcome, and consider the formality of your writing, opting for more precise language in formal contexts to prevent overuse. The examples Ludwig provides offer valuable context for effective usage.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

barely escape

Emphasizes the slim margin by which something was avoided.

scarcely avert

Highlights the act of preventing something with very little room to spare.

just manage to evade

Focuses on the successful evasion of something, despite the difficulty.

only just dodge

Indicates a close call in sidestepping something negative.

by a whisker, avert

Uses an idiomatic expression to emphasize the closeness of the avoidance.

manage to sidestep by a hair's breadth

Implies maneuvering with great precision to avoid something.

come close to dodging

Highlights that while close, the dodging action was successful.

scrape through to prevent

Underscores a difficult or challenging process of avoiding something.

skirt around the edge of

Suggests staying very close to but ultimately avoiding something undesirable.

thread the needle to bypass

Implies precise and skillful maneuvering to avoid a difficult situation.

FAQs

How can I use "narrowly avoid" in a sentence?

You can use "narrowly avoid" to describe a situation where someone or something almost experienced an undesirable outcome, for example: "The company "narrowly avoided" bankruptcy by securing a last-minute loan."

What are some alternatives to "narrowly avoid"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "barely escape", "scarcely avert", or "just manage to evade" as alternatives to "narrowly avoid".

Is it correct to say "narrowly avoided from"?

No, the correct phrasing is "narrowly avoided" followed directly by the thing that was avoided. For example, "The car "narrowly avoided" hitting the pedestrian."

What's the difference between "narrowly avoid" and "narrowly escape"?

While both suggest a close call, "narrowly avoid" implies preventing something from happening, whereas "narrowly escape" suggests getting away from something that is already happening. For example, you "narrowly avoid" an accident, but you "narrowly escape" a fire.