Idiom
close but no cigar
Meanings
Very near to success or correct, but still not successful or correct.
Definition
Used to say someone almost succeeded but did not quite achieve the goal.
“Close but no cigar” means you were very near to success, but you still failed to get the result. People use it when an attempt is almost correct or a guess is nearly right. It often carries a mildly teasing or disappointed tone, but it is usually informal and friendly.
Examples
- I guessed the password on my third try—close but no cigar.
- Our team lost by one point, so it was close but no cigar.
- You almost solved the puzzle, but it’s close but no cigar.
- I nearly caught the last train—close but no cigar.
- Her answer was close but no cigar, so the teacher asked her to try again.
More at C1 level
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- come hell or high water No matter what happens or how difficult things become.
- brass monkeys “Brass monkeys” is used in the expression “cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey,” mea…
- get down to brass tacks To get down to brass tacks means to start discussing the most important practical details of someth…
- not cricket Used to say that something is unfair or unacceptable.
More idioms
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- ducks in a row To have everything organized and ready in the correct order.
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