a matter of
idiom
1
—used to refer to a small amount
It cooks in a matter of (a few) minutes.
The crisis was resolved in a matter of a few hours.
The ball was foul by a matter of inches.
2
—used to say that one thing results from or requires another
Learning to ride a bicycle is a matter of practice.
His success was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
It's only a matter of time before/until we catch him.
3
—used to explain the reason for something
She insists on honesty as a matter of principle.
All requests for free tickets are turned down as a matter of policy.
Examples of a matter of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In just a matter of days, the Reddit post has gone viral with over 75,000 upvotes and more than 2,000 comments at the time of writing.
—
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Velardo’s companies sold more than a third of the properties to other companies they were linked to, sometimes in a matter of days and for a steep markup.
—Karen Wang, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Corneal abrasions typically heal in a matter of days with the proper treatment but can be debilitating initially.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
What’s not as straightforward, though, is putting a finger on what will fix the ailments in a matter of days.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a matter of
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Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Velardo’s companies sold more than a third of the properties to other companies they were linked to, sometimes in a matter of days and for a steep markup.
—Karen Wang, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Corneal abrasions typically heal in a matter of days with the proper treatment but can be debilitating initially.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
What’s not as straightforward, though, is putting a finger on what will fix the ailments in a matter of days.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a matter of
Cite this Entry
“A matter of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20matter%20of. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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