expression, noun
narrow victory; razor-thin win
Idiomatic expression likening a close victory to walking on thin ice; emphasizes the precariousness of the win.
選挙の結果は薄氷の勝利だった。
The election result was a narrow victory.
彼は薄氷の勝利で決勝に進んだ。
He advanced to the final with a razor-thin win.
From 薄氷 (thin ice) + の + 勝利 (victory), literally 'victory on thin ice', conveying the idea of a win that could easily have been a loss.