within touching distance

English

Prepositional phrase

within touching distance

  1. Very close.
    • 1843, John S. Robb, Streaks of Squatter of Life, and Far-west Scenes[1], page 116:
      Away they started, lickety-click,” and arrived at the winning-post within touching distance of each other.
    • 1992, Mairi Hedderwick, Highland Journey: A Sketching Tour of Scotland: Retracing the Steps of Victorian Artist John T. Reid, Edinburgh: Canongate Press, →ISBN, page 13:
      But the journey went on. Slower as the river became more intimate; reeds at the edge almost within touching distance. Waterfowl. A heron stalkily still. Dank lank growth and then the smells of intensive farming.
    • 2025 April 17, Simon Stone, “Manchester United 5-4 Olympique Lyonnais”, in BBC Sport[2]:
      He will know that, for 70 minutes, United produced arguably their best performance under him as Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot put them within touching distance of a place in the last four.