hair's breadth; close call; by a hair
Describes a situation where something dangerous or disastrous was barely avoided. Often used in the phrase 間一髪のところで.
See also: 間一髪のところ
I caught the train by a hair's breadth.
He narrowly escaped the accident.
We narrowly avoided the accident by a hair's breadth.
I managed to catch the train just in time.
We lost the championship by the narrowest of margins.