# hair's breadth

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hairs-breadth
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A very small amount or distance.

## Examples

- He missed the bus by a hair's breadth.
- The car swerved to avoid the dog, missing it by a hair's breadth.
- The climber escaped the falling rock by a hair's breadth, clinging to the cliff face as the debris tumbled into the abyss below.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.