at close range

Idioms  

1. Very nearby, as in At close range, the rock band was unbearably loud. Derived from shooting— range denotes the distance that missile or projectile can be made to travel—this expression soon came to mean anything in close proximity.

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Example Sentences

When the team replaced the black object with a white one and added carbon dioxide, mosquitoes were able to locate the source, but only at close range.

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026

All over Northern Italy, organizers have unleashed a fleet of drones to capture athletes at close range while they execute terrifying feats of winter athleticism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

First responders working at close range, often without adequate respiratory protection, were at higher risk of developing adverse health conditions.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2025

The Cameroon keeper probably earned his luck in the first instance, when the rebound struck Sasa Lukic at close range and the ball bounced inches wide.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2024

Such bereavement, witnessed at close range, makes even the most eloquent apologia for high-risk activities ring fatuous and hollow.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer