on-the-spot

American  

[on-thuh-spot, awn-] / ˈɒn ðəˌspɒt, ˈɔn- /

adjective

1. done or occurring at the time or place in question.

   an on-the-spot recording.

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on the spot Idioms  

1. At once, without delay, as in When the boss learned Tom had been lying, he fired him on the spot . This usage suggests that one does not have time to move away from a particular spot. [Late 1600s]

2. At the scene of action, as in Whenever there's a bad accident or fire, you can be sure the station will have a reporter on the spot . This usage also employs spot in the sense of “a particular location.” [Late 1600s]

3. Under pressure or in trouble, as in He's on the spot, because he can't pay back the loan . It is also phrased as put on the spot , meaning “put under pressure.” For example, The reporter's question put her on the spot; she didn't want to lie or to admit her part in the scandal . [First half of 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of on-the-spot

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Liu practiced in the dress and McKinnon was able to make on-the-spot adjustments.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Others only were able to keep running because the company paid prices for on-the-spot gas that had surged to several times the typical price.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

So, in terms of stress, watching baby animals animals playing is the opposite of a surprise job interview or an on-the-spot subtraction task.

From BBC • Oct. 12, 2025

Among the on-the-spot penalty creations: hugging, dancing and “too many hot dogs on the ice.”

From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2024

Rather, he was something of a poet, an inventor of on-the-spot ballads called corridos, and at one time he had been able to read and write in both English and Spanish.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

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