sweet spot
Americannoun
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Sports. the spot on a club, racket, bat, etc., where a ball is most effectively hit.
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a point, range, or particular set of conditions that will achieve the most desirable or effective outcome.
The trick is finding the sweet spot between making the puzzle challenging but not impossible.
noun
Etymology
Origin of sweet spot
First recorded in 1920–25
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.
Taco Bell was sitting solidly in the sweet spot for fast food in troubled times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The scientific research suggests that the sweet spot for caffeinated coffee consumption is generally between two and four cups a day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
This outbreak seems to be in the sweet spot where a really bad outcome is possible if you get infected, but you’re probably going to be OK.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
“For us, the sweet spot is … the customer gets comfy enough that even if they don’t check it, it’s being handled for them just like if they use a human financial adviser,” Norcliffe said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
The sweet spot —Regan’s words, not mine—was now, when things were essentially in limbo, and we could make the jump back in time untethered by a future that was already set in stone.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.