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

A singer and guitarist who had stood within spitting distance of Mick Jagger at the Rolling Stones show, Brioso said his own band broke up when most of its members emigrated.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 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

“I am a staunch believer that if you are within spitting distance of a tribe that you should be engaged in outreach to the tribe,” she said.

From Salon • Feb. 6, 2024

Their dorsal fins, some as tall as a man, cut the glassy surface within spitting distance of the rail.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer