on the heels of

Idioms

Also, hard on the heels of. Directly behind, immediately following, as in Mom's birthday comes on the heels of Mother's Day, or Hard on the heels of the flood there was a tornado. The hard in the variant acts as an intensifier, giving it the sense of “close on the heels of”. [Early 1800s] Also see at one's heels.

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.

The bond market’s five-year forecast jumped again Friday as strong jobs figures came on the heels of $112-a-barrel oil and $4.09-a-gallon gasoline.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

That came on the heels of a relatively strong holiday season for retailers in general, with many recording revenue and comparable sales increases in their fiscal fourth quarters.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

FedEx FDX -0.86%decrease; red down pointing triangle is teaming up with last-mile delivery provider OneRail to offer same-day delivery service, on the heels of Amazon’s recent launch of speedier delivery options.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

The news outlet reported that Tontitown police said this separate investigation was “launched on the heels of the alleged incident in Florida.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

Their voices came in faster and faster, the high sounds on the heels of the lows.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

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