Real Dictionary

near miss
countable noun: You can say that there is a near miss when something is nearly hit by another thing, for example by a vehicle or a bomb.

near miss in British English
a shell, aerial bomb, etc. that does not score a direct hit on the target but comes close enough to inflict some damage
noun: a bomb, shell, etc, that does not exactly hit the target
noun: a strike by a missile that is not a direct hit but is close enough to damage the target