a strike by a missile that is not a direct hit but is close enough to damage the target.
2.
an instance of two vehicles, aircraft, etc., narrowly avoiding a collision.
3.
something that falls narrowly short of its object or of success:
an interesting movie, but a near miss.
Also, near-miss.
Examples from the web for near miss
It was a near miss and too close a call, but everybody was all right.
The near miss made one thing clear-the group needed a better sanctuary.
There was a near miss with one group launching their pumpkin back up over the crowds and landing near the parking lot.
But studying this near miss has concentrated the minds of researchers wonderfully.
The moon's four phases are a near miss, but still a misfit, for weeks.
In unfair jargon, the book is a near miss, and the more irritating for being so near.
British Dictionary definitions for near miss
near miss
noun
1.
a bomb, shell, etc, that does not exactly hit the target
2.
any attempt or shot that just fails to be successful
3.
an incident in which two vehicles narrowly avoid collision
Idioms and Phrases with near miss
near miss
A narrowly avoided mishap; also, an attempt that falls just short of success. For example, It was a near miss for that truck, since the driver had crossed the center strip into on-coming traffic, or Her horse kept having a near miss in every race, so she decided to sell it. This expression originated during World War II, when it signified a bomb exploding in the water near enough to a ship to damage its hull. Soon afterward it acquired its present meanings.