sweet spot

noun

plural sweet spots

1

sports : the area around the center of mass of a bat, a racket, or the head of a club that is the most effective part with which to hit a ball

If the bat connects near its sweet spot … it vibrates very little, much as a tennis racket feels solid if you hit the ball on the racket's sweet spot.

—Sharon Begley

The shape of the clubhead has a pronounced effect on [golf] shots that are not hit out of the sweet spot of the club …

—Steen Winther

2

: an ideal or most favorable location, level, area, or combination of factors for a particular activity or purpose

We are in that sweet spot of December in which you're (hopefully) full of the holiday spirit but without the stress of having to spend every waking moment with your family.

—Katie Yee

To seafood men, Fulton is the jewel of the Atlantic coast, the sweet spot on the seaboard, and the best fish from Maine to Florida rolls into the markets in refrigerated trucks.

—Jonathan Gold

"We are considering a lot of options with the site," says Zach Nelson, executive vice president of marketing. "I think we are right in the sweet spot of what's required to make e-business happen."

—Daniel Roth

The winery in Rutherford, best known for its loamy Cabernet Sauvignon, has a sweet spot of 8 acres for Chardonnay, which has produced spectacular wines.

—James Laube

Examples of sweet spot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Why early spring is the sweet spot The beginning of spring is the best time to wash your exterior windows and screens, and the reasoning comes down to four factors working in your favor at once. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026

That’s the sweet spot for versatile edge rushers, linebackers and hybrid defensive backs. —Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026

Picking the right method for the right situation Each of these approaches has a specific sweet spot. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026

Over four generations of street-going versions, the Grand Sport built a reputation as a serious driver’s car, one that has carved out a popular sweet spot in the Corvette lineup. —Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for sweet spot

• allot
• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot