spitting distance

British  

noun

1. a short space or distance

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spitting distance Idioms  

1. A very short distance, as in We were in spitting distance of winning the pennant but then we lost three games in a row. Alluding to the relatively short distance over which one's spit will carry, this idiom was first recorded in 1895 as within spitting range.

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Example Sentences

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index is having its longest winning streak in five years and the broader S&P 500 is within spitting distance of an all-time high.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Longtime Idahoans might remember a time before the state’s population blew up and brought so many new residents within spitting distance of the Owyhees.

From Seattle Times • May 27, 2024

“I am a staunch believer that if you are within spitting distance of a tribe that you should be engaged in outreach to the tribe,” she said.

From Salon • Feb. 6, 2024

Yields on 10-year notes crept up to 4.18% on Monday and within spitting distance of the 2023 top of 4.206%, a break of which would be bearish for a test of last year's 4.337% high.

From Reuters • Aug. 14, 2023

Their dorsal fins, some as tall as a man, cut the glassy surface within spitting distance of the rail.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer