spitting distance
noun
informal
: a short distance
Our house is within spitting distance of the park.
Examples of spitting distance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Last year’s identical matchup slipped to 38.8 million viewers, which is still a monster showing, but considering the league was within spitting distance of that number two weeks into the season, the expectation is that the Chiefs-Cowboys will see an uptick, at the very least.
—
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 Nov. 2025
Gretzky was within spitting distance, and Ovechkin knew it.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
The Cowboys were literally within spitting distance of beating the Eagles in Philly.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
The Information reported that last year that ByteDance revenues grew 29% to $155 billion, putting it within spitting distance of Meta’s $164.5 billion in sales.
—Iain Martin, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Alas, he was caught and passed by the group within spitting distance of the finish line.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 16 July 2025
The construction appears to be part of a longer-looking effort to expand Russian military facilities in spitting distance of NATO, The New York Times reported earlier this month.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
But a confluence of conditions — the spring migration, ideal water temperatures, and massive schools of menhaden (also known as bunker) packed tightly to the coast — appears to have drawn the tuna to within spitting distance of the shoreline.
—Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2025
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Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 Nov. 2025
Gretzky was within spitting distance, and Ovechkin knew it.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
The Cowboys were literally within spitting distance of beating the Eagles in Philly.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
The Information reported that last year that ByteDance revenues grew 29% to $155 billion, putting it within spitting distance of Meta’s $164.5 billion in sales.
—Iain Martin, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Alas, he was caught and passed by the group within spitting distance of the finish line.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 16 July 2025
The construction appears to be part of a longer-looking effort to expand Russian military facilities in spitting distance of NATO, The New York Times reported earlier this month.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
But a confluence of conditions — the spring migration, ideal water temperatures, and massive schools of menhaden (also known as bunker) packed tightly to the coast — appears to have drawn the tuna to within spitting distance of the shoreline.
—Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spitting distance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spitting%20distance. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
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