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win by a narrow margin

[/wɪn baɪ ə ˈnæroʊ ˈmɑrdʒɪn/]
verb phrase
vencer por uma margem estreita
1. To win a competition or contest by a very small difference or small amount of points
The candidate won by a narrow margin in the election.
O candidato venceu por uma margem estreita nas eleições.
2. To succeed in a close or competitive situation with minimal advantage
Our team won by a narrow margin against their strongest rivals.
Nosso time venceu por uma margem estreita contra seus maiores rivais.
NYC Slang
win by a hair / squeeak by
Synonyms
win by a hairwin by a nosewin narrowlysqueeze out a winscrape throughwin by a slim margin
Antonyms
win by a landslidewin decisivelywin by a wide marginlose badlylose by a wide margin

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
vencer por uma margem estreita
Standard usage throughout Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
ganhar por um fio
Colloquial variant, literally 'win by a thread'
São Paulo
vencer por pouco
Common casual expression, 'win by little'
Portugal
vencer por uma margem apertada
Portuguese preference for 'apertada' over 'estreita'

Related Idioms & Phrases

win by the skin of one's teeth
pull off a narrow victory
edge out the competition
just barely make it
clinch a tight victory
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