close quarters

American  

[klohs] / kloʊs /

noun

1. a small, cramped place or position.

2. direct and close contact in a fight.

   They met at close quarters, exchanging many quick jabs.

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close quarters British  

/ kləʊs /

plural noun

1. a narrow cramped space or position

2. 1. engaged in hand-to-hand combat

   2. in close proximity; very near together

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Etymology

Origin of close quarters

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

“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

The Nunalik’s 20-man crew lived in close quarters, many sharing cabins.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

"You're bringing people together from all over the world, putting them in close quarters, and exposing them to viruses they've never encountered before," she says.

From BBC • Oct. 4, 2025

And they have to play in these close quarters; it was a very close kind of set.

From Salon • Sep. 23, 2025

Tempers began to wear thin in the close quarters.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong