How to Use spitting distance in a Sentence

spitting distance

noun
  • Like Engle, Moorehead lives within spitting distance of the data center site.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
  • Stock futures are basically flat this morning as the S & P 500 sits within spitting distance of a new record close.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
  • The Cowboys were literally within spitting distance of beating the Eagles in Philly.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Chris Hemsworth, in one of his most layered roles, is Mike Davis, an elusive loner of a jewel thief who gets in and out of his targets, all within spitting distance of the 101, without getting caught and without hurting anyone.
    — Cary Darling, Houston Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The New York Knicks overcame an early 14-point deficit to bring themselves within spitting distance of the San Antonio Spurs by the third period, the orange and blue squad only pulling ahead in the final minutes.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 4 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spitting distance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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