social distancing
noun
medical
: the practice of maintaining a greater than usual physical distance (such as six feet or more) from other people or of avoiding direct contact with people or objects in public places during the outbreak of a contagious disease in order to minimize exposure and reduce the transmission of infection : physical distancing
San Francisco issued recommendations for social distancing on Friday, advising residents to stay home as much as possible and avoid congregating in large groups.—
Taryn Luna and Melody Gutierrez
Taryn Luna and Melody GutierrezUnder a new "social distancing" strategy, handshaking could be discouraged, with other, less tactile forms of greeting taking its place.—Rosa Silverman
Rosa SilvermanThe term social distancing may be foreign to some, but the concept is one often practiced during the flu season, said Dora Anne Mills, the state's former top health official and currently chief health improvement officer for MaineHealth.—Gillian Graham
Gillian GrahamExamples of social distancing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Face-to-face interactions became less common amid social distancing protocols and many schools temporarily switched to remote learning.
—Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC news, 18 July 2025
Pedro Pascal plays the mayor who's trying to enforce masking and social distancing, and Joaquin Phoenix is the sheriff who thinks that should all be a choice, not a mandate.
—Phil Harrell, NPR, 17 July 2025
Online school and social distancing during lockdowns influenced how people of all ages navigated in-person interactions and awkward social situations.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 16 July 2025
And when Notre Dame’s defense dropped Clemson tight end Braden Galloway to end it, Book charged the field alongside a student section that abandoned social distancing for a night in November 2020.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 9 July 2025
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Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC news, 18 July 2025
Pedro Pascal plays the mayor who's trying to enforce masking and social distancing, and Joaquin Phoenix is the sheriff who thinks that should all be a choice, not a mandate.
—Phil Harrell, NPR, 17 July 2025
Online school and social distancing during lockdowns influenced how people of all ages navigated in-person interactions and awkward social situations.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 16 July 2025
And when Notre Dame’s defense dropped Clemson tight end Braden Galloway to end it, Book charged the field alongside a student section that abandoned social distancing for a night in November 2020.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for social distancing
Cite this Entry
“Social distancing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20distancing. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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