"A NEAR MISS would be a hit, because you either miss something or you hit something."

Ok, I still think a near miss is a miss...it was just a close one.

For example, if a plane passes overhead at 500ft, and you didnt see them...that was a miss. Let's say the plane passes overhead at 50ft...that would be a NEAR miss. It really is in the way you say it...because if you phrase it differently, it sounds like they could hit ya... "The plane missed me" (he didn't hit you), or "The plane nearly missed me" (He almost missed you, but hit you instead.

Yeah, I see how you are wording it now.

However...if it relates to...darts for example.

If your dart hits the outside of the dart board...you missed the bullseye. But you hit just outside the bullseye, you nearly missed the bullseye....yet you didn't hit it.

K, I'm done, promise =)