The arrow missed the monkey by a hair.

Meaning: This sentence describes an arrow narrowly missing a monkey, passing very close to it.

Choice of Words: Missed means to fail to hit or reach something, By means near or close to something, Hair refers to the thin strands that grow on a person's head or an animal's body, and Monkey is a type of primate.

Alternative Expressions

The arrow barely missed the monkey.

Meaning: This sentence tells us that the arrow came very close to hitting the monkey, but it did not actually hit it. It's like saying, The arrow almost hit the monkey, but it just barely missed.

Choice of Words: Barely means almost not, or very narrowly. Missed means that the arrow did not hit its target. Monkey is a furry animal that lives in trees. By putting these words together, we can understand that the arrow came very close to hitting the monkey, but it did not actually hit it.

The monkey narrowly escaped the arrow.

Meaning: This sentence tells us that the monkey was almost hit by the arrow, but it managed to get away just in time. It's like saying, The arrow almost hit the monkey, but it was very lucky and managed to avoid it.

Choice of Words: Narrowly means almost not, or very narrowly. Escaped means that the monkey got away from the arrow. Arrow is a pointy object that is shot from a bow. Monkey is a furry animal that lives in trees. By putting these words together, we can understand that the monkey almost got hit by the arrow, but it managed to get away just in time.

Related Expressions