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

Where the show has launched the careers of its young actors, and pushed several of its veteran cast into the spotlight, its creators have also found a sweet spot with its soundtrack. —Lars Brandle, Billboard, 28 Nov. 2025

West Elm’s Black Friday sale is a sweet spot for rugs that look designer without the designer price tag. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 28 Nov. 2025

Little Fino’s menu is your productivity sweet spot. —Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 27 Nov. 2025

For shoppers who want something that works year-round—especially in milder Southern winters—the weight hits the sweet spot. —Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2025

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