a matter of
idiom
1
—used to refer to a small amount
It cooks in a matter of (a few) minutes.
The crisis was resolved in a matter of a few hours.
The ball was foul by a matter of inches.
2
—used to say that one thing results from or requires another
Learning to ride a bicycle is a matter of practice.
His success was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
It's only a matter of time before/until we catch him.
3
—used to explain the reason for something
She insists on honesty as a matter of principle.
All requests for free tickets are turned down as a matter of policy.
Examples of a matter of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There's one particular scene in Stranger Things season 5's second volume in which Jamie Campbell Bower shifts through all of Vecna's different forms in a matter of seconds.
—
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Some research finds this can happen in a matter of months.
—Will Stone, NPR, 26 Dec. 2025
Roadways across the Garden State got pelted with heavy bands of snow, sleet and freezing rain, as the Friday evening commute went from snowy to slushy in a matter of hours.
—Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 26 Dec. 2025
In Greenland, temperatures shot up by as much as 18 degrees Fahrenheit in a matter of decades, pushing other Arctic megafauna to extinction.
—Maggie Koerth, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 2025
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Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Some research finds this can happen in a matter of months.
—Will Stone, NPR, 26 Dec. 2025
Roadways across the Garden State got pelted with heavy bands of snow, sleet and freezing rain, as the Friday evening commute went from snowy to slushy in a matter of hours.
—Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 26 Dec. 2025
In Greenland, temperatures shot up by as much as 18 degrees Fahrenheit in a matter of decades, pushing other Arctic megafauna to extinction.
—Maggie Koerth, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a matter of
Cite this Entry
“A matter of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20matter%20of. Accessed 2 Jan. 2026.
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