close quarters
Americannoun
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a small, cramped place or position.
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direct and close contact in a fight.
They met at close quarters, exchanging many quick jabs.
plural noun
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a narrow cramped space or position
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engaged in hand-to-hand combat
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in close proximity; very near together
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Etymology
Origin of close quarters
First recorded in 1745–55
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.
They mix in large numbers at close quarters, while sharing kitchens and accommodation.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
Mpox is unlikely to spread through casual contact, or in close quarters like on a plane or in an office or store, state health officials say.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2026
“Anytime you have a gathering of kids in close quarters, you risk sharing germs,” says Elizabeth Murray, a pediatrician in Rochester, New York.
From Slate ● Jan. 9, 2026
Many remembrances circulating since Reiner’s shocking murder cite the significance of Meathead and Archie Bunker’s commitment to coexist, however uncomfortable that was in such close quarters.
From Salon ● Dec. 21, 2025
It certainly comes out, living in such close quarters with people, which ones are only looking out for themselves and which ones are thinking about the whole group.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
