at close quarters

Idioms  

1. Crowded, in a confined space, as in We could use a lot more room; this tiny office puts us at close quarters. This idiom makes figurative use of quarters in the sense of “military lodgings” but originated in 18th-century naval warfare. When the enemy boarded a ship, the crew would retreat behind wooden barriers erected for this purpose and would continue to fire through loopholes. They thus were very near the enemy, fighting in close quarters. [c. 1800]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at close quarters

While working his way back home, he’s forced to outsmart a vicious beast at close quarters, and he takes up residence with a suitor.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

The post-match operation was observed at close quarters by Newcastle stewards and senior staff.

From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2025

Scotland battled bravely at close quarters - especially on their own line - but gave away two soft tries as a result of weak defence further up the pitch.

From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2025

A couple of small groups would walk alongside MPs as they tried to move around the tiny SW1 postcode, hurling abuse and accusations at close quarters and recording them on their phones.

From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2024

His goal was to expose them at close quarters to the charismatic energy of his protege Ernest Lawrence, and he was surely successful at finalizing their approval for the cyclotron grant.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• adjacent
• adjoining
• immediate
• nearby
• neighboring
• warm