close to home

Idioms

Also, where one lives. Affecting one intimately and personally, as in That description of orphans really was too close to home, or The teacher's criticisms of her work got her where she lives. The noun home here means “the heart of something,” a usage dating from the late 1800s; the variant was first recorded in 1860. Both of these colloquialisms are sometimes preceded by hit, that is, something is said to, as in That remark about their marriage hit close to home. Also see too close for comfort (to home).

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.

Author of “Blues for an Alabama Sky,” a 1995 abortion drama still ahead of its time, Cleage is telling a backstage story that’s clearly close to home.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026

I call the inclination to stay close to home “amusement park syndrome,” because people will drive long distances to go on roller-coasters but refuse to drive to another city to see a superior physician.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

"Having the Tour de France Femmes Avec Swift so close to home feels like a full circle moment for me," said Movistar's English rider Cat Ferguson, who was born in the Yorkshire town of Skipton.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Schwimmer emphasized that fields like paleontology and other Earth sciences offer valuable opportunities for students to participate in hands-on research close to home.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

After Reyna’s nightmares, that hit a little too close to home.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023