on-the-spot
adjective
done or occurring at the time or place in question.
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on-the-spot
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on the spot
on the spot
At once, without delay, as in When the boss learned Tom had been lying, he fired him on the spot . This usage suggests that one does not have time to move away from a particular spot. [Late 1600s]
on-the-spot
American
[on-thuh-spot, awn-]
/ ˈɒn ðəˌspɒt, ˈɔn- /
adjective
on the spot
Idioms
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At once, without delay, as in When the boss learned Tom had been lying, he fired him on the spot . This usage suggests that one does not have time to move away from a particular spot. [Late 1600s]
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At the scene of action, as in Whenever there's a bad accident or fire, you can be sure the station will have a reporter on the spot . This usage also employs spot in the sense of “a particular location.” [Late 1600s]
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Under pressure or in trouble, as in He's on the spot, because he can't pay back the loan . It is also phrased as put on the spot , meaning “put under pressure.” For example, The reporter's question put her on the spot; she didn't want to lie or to admit her part in the scandal . [First half of 1900s]
Etymology
Origin of on-the-spot
First recorded in 1885–90
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
People will be able to go to their local chemist in England this autumn and get on-the-spot treatment for 12 common conditions without going to their GP first.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Others only were able to keep running because the company paid prices for on-the-spot gas that had surged to several times the typical price.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026
Turkish citizens this summer are able to visit 10 Greek islands using on-the-spot visas, skipping a more cumbersome procedure needed to enter Europe’s common travel area zone, known as the Schengen area.
From Seattle Times ● May 11, 2024
They could search for injured and trapped people in an earthquake or a collapsed building, for example, and apply on-the-spot care, such as administering CPR.
From Science Daily ● May 3, 2024
Rather, he was something of a poet, an inventor of on-the-spot ballads called corridos, and at one time he had been able to read and write in both English and Spanish.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
McLaren's James Hunt and Lotus' Mario Andretti tangle while battling for the lead in 1977, with the Briton eliminated on the spot.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
The company in July said it would start guaranteeing the quality of its Whoppers, committing to remake orders on the spot if customers deem them unsatisfactory, and providing a future Whopper for free.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
I had just finished a portrait of Dorothy Dandridge, and he bought it right on the spot, making it my first commission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
"To be boring is to die right there on the spot," she added in a newsletter to fans, external.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
With his eyes trained on the spot where his father had disappeared, Fadi started to run.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
