Win by a nose Meaning in English
expression
ˈwɪn/ /ˈbaɪ/ /ˈeɪ/, /ə/ /ˈnoʊz
WIN by uh NOHZ
wˈɪn/ /bˈaɪ/ /æɪ/ /nˈəʊz
WIN by uh NOHZ
Definition
To win a race or competition by a very small margin, just barely beating your opponent. The phrase comes from horse racing, when a horse wins by only the length of its nose.
Usage & Nuances
This is an informal and often playful idiom used when the competition was very close. Most common in sports, races, or games. Can be used figuratively in any situation with a narrow victory. Not used for large or clear wins.
Spanish: ganar por pocoPortuguese (BR): vencer por pouco - ganhar por um trizPortuguese (PT): ganhar por pouco - vencer por um trizChinese (Simplified): 以微弱优势获胜Chinese (Traditional): 以些微差距獲勝Hindi: बहुत कम अंतर से जीतनाArabic: يفوز بفارق بسيطBengali: একটুখানি ব্যবধানে জয়ী হওয়া - নাকে নাক পড়ে জেতাRussian: выиграть с минимальным отрывом - выиграть на волосокJapanese: 僅差で勝つ - 鼻差で勝つVietnamese: thắng sát nút - thắng suýt soátKorean: 아슬아슬하게 이기다 - 간발의 차이로 이기다Turkish: kıl payı kazanmak - burun farkıyla kazanmakUrdu: تھوڑے سے فرق سے جیتناIndonesian: menang tipis - menang dengan selisih sangat kecil
Example Sentences
He won by a nose in the final race.
basic
Our team won by a nose last night.
basic
Jane won by a nose in the spelling contest.
basic
It was so close—you really won by a nose!
natural
They only won by a nose in the vote; it could have gone either way.
natural
She won by a nose, but a win is a win!
natural