spot-on

American

[spot-on, awn] / ˈspɒtˈɒn, ˈɔn /

Or spot on

adjective

exactly right or accurate.

His spot-on impression of the popular politician had us all laughing.
Thanks go to our colleague, whose analysis of the situation was spot on.

spot-on British

adjective

informal absolutely correct; very accurate

your prediction was spot-on

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of spot-on

First recorded in 1935–40

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.

Michael Lindbeck, a retiree in Alaska who owns six Harleys and two Indians, said it was spot-on.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

Bloom’s first foray into crime fiction nails the genre’s conventions while her bona fides as a recently retired professor of English and psychotherapist in mid-state Connecticut make this book resonate as spot-on, hilarious truth.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

If the forecast is spot-on, the annual increase in wholesale inflation would jump to 4.8% from 4% in the prior month, reflecting the highest rate since February 2023.

From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026

"It was a challenging prediction, and we had to be spot-on," Barat says.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2026

The lighting was just right, the shadows perfectly cast, the location spot-on.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

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