breathing space

noun

: some time in which to recover, get organized, or get going

called also breathing room, breathing spell

Examples of breathing space in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But while Trump’s announcement of the delay has granted the two parties some more breathing space, market watchers warned Monday that a lot remains at stake. Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 26 May 2025 That breathing space would be especially useful because the questions liberal and conservative Catholics have been fighting over since the 1960s, while enduringly important, may not be the territory that matters most to the Christian future. Ross Douthat, Mercury News, 14 May 2025 Michael was initially planned as a single movie spanning the pop stars’ career and life, but, as previously reported by THR, producer King and the estate are working to split the movie into two films, allowing the filmmakers some breathing space to fix this issue. Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025 His focus on this kind of breathing space extended to a basement storage area, where Nakib laid down two-inch-thick rubber flooring and installed a DJ studio–slash–gym for his sons. Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for breathing space

Word History

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of breathing space was in 1545

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Cite this Entry

“Breathing space.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breathing%20space. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

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