Victory at Parnell Park for Dublin, their first in the Allianz League under new manager Micheál Donoghue, but boy were the hosts glad to hear the final whistle.
Leading by 10 points in the 65th minute, this was shaping up as a comprehensive win for Dublin but a Keelan Molloy-inspired Antrim comeback brought the deficit down to just three points by full-time.
Having created no goal chances in the opening half, Antrim suddenly started to pepper shots at Dublin goalkeeper Eddie Gibbons in the second-half and Molloy twice hit the net in the 51st and 65th minutes.
Antrim struck the last 1-04 of the game with veteran Neil McManus also on the mark but they ultimately came up short and will rue the concession of 14 wides overall.
It means Darren Gleeson's side are still searching for their first league points of the campaign but they have at least gone down fighting on both occasions against Kilkenny and now Dublin.
They will face Dublin all over again on 22 April at Corrigan Park in the first round of the Leinster championship, while their next league game is away to Waterford on 26 February.
For Dublin, Donal Burke once again led the scoring with 10 points though a host of wides, 15 in all, also undermined their challenge.
When the sides previously met in Round 1 of the Walsh Cup early last month, Dublin won by seven points and they led by that same margin at half-time of this rematch.
There was a brief period of difficulty for Donoghue's side between the 12th and 20th minutes when they conceded five points in a row.
Conal Cunning grabbed two of those Antrim scores while Michael Bradley, James McNaughton and Niall McKenna were also on the mark.
But a Saffrons side containing three changes from the team that lost to Kilkenny by six points in Round 1 - Phelim Duffin, Conor Johnston and Seaan Elliott all started this time - were left to rue eight first-half wides.
Dublin, who will face Tipperary at Croke Park in Round 3, had the same number of wides but created far more chances and put 15 points on the board in the 35 minutes or so to lead by 0-15 to 0-08 at the interval.
Free-taker Burke led them again in scoring terms, striking four points in the half, though they had seven different scorers in total in that period with Fergal Whitely and ex-Cork senior Chris O'Leary registering a brace apiece.
Dublin increased their lead in the third quarter with four points in a row at one stage, from Eoghan O'Donnell, Donal Burke and Conor Burke.
A strong showing around midfield in the final 20 minutes or so brought an improvement from Antrim, and Gibbons had to save smartly from McManus. Two minutes later, McManus smashed a shot off the crossbar.
Molloy finally found the net in the 51st minute after being fed by Conor Johnston and though Dublin steadied with a series of points, Antrim turned on the afterburners again late on.
Molloy struck his second goal in the 65th minute and this was followed by points from Paddy Burke, McManus and Molloy to leave just three in it. Time ultimately ran out on the Ulster side's impressive fightback.
Dublin: Eddie Gibbons; Paddy Doyle, Eoghan O'Donnell (0-01), John Bellew; Conor Donoghue (0-02), Conor Burke (0-02), Daire Gray; Chris O'Leary (0-03), Aidan Mellett (0-01); Donal Leavy (0-02), Donal Burke (0-10, 0-05f), Cian Boland (0-02); Fergal Whitely (0-02), Liam Murphy (0-02), Paul Crummey
Subs: Ronan Smith for Mellett 18-23, blood, Darragh Power (0-01) for Leavy 31 - full-time, blood, Danny Sutcliffe for Crummey 46, Andrew Jamieson Murphy for Whitely 58, Andrew Dunphy for Doyle 61, Dara Purcell for Murphy 64
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Phelim Duffin, Ryan McGarry, Paddy Burke (0-02); Gerard Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Conal Bohill; Michael Bradley (0-01), Keelan Molloy (2-01); Niall McKenna (0-01), James McNaughton (0-01), Neil McManus (0-05, 0-02f); Conal Cunning (0-06, 0-01 65, 0-02f), Conor Johnston, Seaan Elliott (0-01)
Subs: Niall O'Connor (0-01) for Duffin 32, Joe Maskey for McKenna 47, Paul Boyle for McNaughton 58, Rian McMullan for Seaan Elliott (65)
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
