cheek by jowl
Side by side
Cheek by jowl means side by side, in close proximity.
The phrase suggests intimate nearness—faces close enough that cheeks nearly touch jaws: The old houses stood cheek by jowl along the narrow street.
It often implies crowding or uncomfortable closeness: We lived cheek by jowl with our neighbors for years.
- alongsideAt the side of
- side-by-sidePositioned next to another
- abreastSide by side
- back to backIn unbroken sequence
- touchingEvoking gentle emotion
contiguous · adjacent · adjoining · shoulder to shoulder · chockablock · close · hand in glove · thick as thieves · joined at the hip · arm in arm · cramped · tight-knit · clustered · proximate · together · hand in hand · dense · crowded
physical proximity
cheek by jowlat arm's length
miles apart · distant · poles apart · spread out · scattered
cheek, jowl, cheeks, cheeky, cheekily, cheekiness, cheekier, cheekiest, jowls