expression
Used adverbially to describe a situation where something was narrowly avoided or almost happened, often with a sense of relief or regret. Typically followed by a past-tense verb or a negative outcome.
もう少しのところで電車に乗り遅れるところだった。
I almost missed the train.
もう少しのところで事故にあうところだった。
I nearly had an accident.
危うく also means 'almost' or 'narrowly', but is more formal and often used in written language or serious contexts. もう少しのところで is more colloquial and emphasizes the closeness of the event.
すんでのところで is a near-synonym meaning 'just barely' or 'by a hair's breadth', often interchangeable, but もう少しのところで can feel slightly less dramatic.
A set phrase composed of もう少し (a little more) + の (possessive particle) + ところ (place/point) + で (locative particle), literally 'at the point of a little more', i.e., 'on the verge of'.