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

Many doctors have concluded that there is something of a sweet spot on the age-education-experience continuum. They seek out clinicians who are no more than 10 years out of residency, old enough to have some mileage, young enough to be up to speed.

—Nancy Gibbs et al.

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

You’re often pulled toward deep, bold flavors, and brown butter with toffee hits that sweet spot between comfort and seduction, mirroring your love language. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025

This duration is the sweet spot that is long enough to be effective, but short enough to be realistic for a tired parent's schedule. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 29 Oct. 2025

There’s a fine line between hiding your partner (which can raise red flags) and protecting the private moments that matter most—and Swift and Kelce seem to have found the sweet spot. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 27 Oct. 2025

Best Time to Visit The sweet spot for visiting Buellton is late spring or early fall, when days are warm and drenched in sunlight, and evenings cool just enough to curl up with a glass of local wine under the stars. —Maggie Downs, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 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