close quarters

plural noun

ˈklōs- How to pronounce close quarters (audio)
: immediate contact or close range
fought at close quarters

Examples of close quarters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Everyone’s hopped up on coffee, adrenaline and close quarters. — Chris Cardillo, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2026 The audience sits in close quarters, breathing the same air as the musicians, hearing every scrape of bow against string, every intake of breath before a vocal line. — Daniel Scheffler, SPIN, 15 June 2026 One of the boys who watched his rise from close quarters was Sraman Nigrodh, a team-mate six years Sooryavanshi’s senior who trained alongside him. — Mohsin Kamal, New York Times, 25 June 2026 The base handles roughly 700 new recruits every week, according to Air Force figures, and the close quarters environment has long been recognized as being conducive to the spread of disease. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for close quarters

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of close quarters was in 1686

Rhymes for close quarters

See All Rhymes for close quarters

Browse Nearby Words

close-quarter
close quarters
closer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Close quarters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/close%20quarters. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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