on the spot

phrase

1

: at once : immediately

was hired on the spot

2

: at the place of action

a reporter who was on the spot

3

a

: in a responsible or accountable position

The coach was put on the spot for the team's latest loss.

b

: in a difficult or trying situation

The unexpected question put me on the spot.

Examples of on the spot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The July 8 ruling prevents law enforcement from being able to deport migrants who swim into the territories, reversing a practice of deporting them on the spot without a legal process. — Miguel MacIas, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026

Johnson pieced together the basic building blocks of the story on the spot. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 July 2026

By braking the inside wheels while driving the outside wheels forwards, the system allows the SUV to rotate through 360 degrees on the spot. — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

As the National Court Reporters Association has long emphasized, only a human charged with the care of the record can pause a proceeding to resolve an ambiguity on the spot. — K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 17 July 2026

Rhymes for on the spot

• aeronaut
• aforethought
• afterthought
• apricot
• argonaut
• astronaut
• camelot
• coffeepot
• concordat
• cosmonaut
• entrepot
• flowerpot