at/in close quarters

phrase

1

: close together usually in a very small space

The sailors were living in close quarters.

2

: being in close contact

We could observe the behavior of all the animals at close quarters.

Examples of at/in close quarters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shotguns feel particularly disappointing, rarely doing meaningful damage at close quarters to base-level enemies. — Matt Gardner, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023

Fascination with Ward’s physical features led one fan to observe that his circle of chin whiskers could be seen only at close quarters. — R.j.m. Blackett, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Mar. 2023

Like Stalingrad, the Battle of Berlin was an infantry action fought at close quarters; artillery demolished defensive strongpoints in a city already devastated by heavy bombing. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 29 Dec. 2022

Relations with parents-in-law, especially at close quarters and over extended periods, can be tricky to negotiate. — Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2022

Paradoxically, the futuristic technology of Dune means that characters have to fight at close quarters with old-fashioned blades; the protective energy shields everyone wears block fast-moving weapons like bullets or lasers. — Christian Holub, EW.com, 22 Oct. 2021

Loeb also hopes to design—in collaboration with space agencies or companies--a launch-ready space mission to study an incomer at close quarters. — Daniel Clery, Science | AAAS, 26 July 2021