close to home

Idioms  

1. 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).

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Example Sentences

In the Jewish caucus, she spoke about her Jewish husband, her kids, the way the pickup truck attack on Temple Israel hit close to home.

From Slate • Apr. 29, 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

Although he travels a lot, Rosenthal likes to spend Sundays close to home.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

For Prince William, this was uncomfortably close to home on many levels.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

I could wish that she would stay and go to a college close to home, that we could share our room until one of us got married.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English