breathing space

noun

: some time in which to recover, get organized, or get going

called also breathing room, breathing spell

Examples of breathing space in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As with any actor, Pascal requires a good break from big projects to give him and the audience some breathing space. —Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 18 May 2026

Twelve acres of greenery provide those inside with a much-sought-after breathing space and a sense of poetry. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026

This would give countries the necessary financial breathing space to implement a reform program designed by the IMF, which would restore creditworthiness and spark new investment. —Sven Van Mourik, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026

Lawmakers often intentionally craft funding bills to expire on Fridays to give themselves some breathing space to finalize a deal before the start of the work week. —CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for breathing space

• aerospace
• anatase
• anyplace
• commonplace
• cyberspace
• database
• diabase
• diastase
• dnase
• elastase
• fireplace
• hyperspace