spitting distance

British  

noun

1. a short space or distance

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spitting distance Idioms  

1. A very short distance, as in We were in spitting distance of winning the pennant but then we lost three games in a row. Alluding to the relatively short distance over which one's spit will carry, this idiom was first recorded in 1895 as within spitting range.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spitting distance

She gets him within spitting distance of Downing Street just in time for her husband to dump her.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

“The near-term forecast remains positive for gold as it is closing in on its October record, now just a spitting distance away,” the analyst adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025

Longtime Idahoans might remember a time before the state’s population blew up and brought so many new residents within spitting distance of the Owyhees.

From Seattle Times ● May 27, 2024

Yields on 10-year notes crept up to 4.18% on Monday and within spitting distance of the 2023 top of 4.206%, a break of which would be bearish for a test of last year's 4.337% high.

From Reuters ● Aug. 14, 2023

When they got within spitting distance of the car, they threw the rope and pretty much lassoed the Recruiter.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline