cheek to jowl
Packed tightly together
Cheek to jowl means very close together, often uncomfortably so: The apartments were built cheek to jowl.
The phrase suggests physical proximity—faces nearly touching—and extends to any crowded or intimate arrangement: Living cheek to jowl with your in-laws tests any marriage.
Also spelled cheek by jowl.
Adjacent and parallel
- neighboringSituated beside another
- abuttingSharing a common border
- contiguousSharing a common boundary
- borderingSharing an edge with
next to · beside · adjoining · flush · juxtaposed · alongside · touching · back-to-back
Filled to capacity
- crammedOverfilled or overstuffed
- squeezedPressed firmly together
- jammedUnable to move freely
- wedgedFixed tightly between surfaces
sardines · congested · overcrowded · tight · compressed · dense · huddled · bunched
Strongly united group
- cozyWarm and snug
- snugComfortably close-fitting
- familiarKnown from experience
- inseparableUnable to be divided
thick as thieves · hand in glove · joined at the hip · bosom · chummy · tight-knit · bonded · connected
side by side
Adjacent and parallel
- neighboringSituated beside another
- abuttingSharing a common border
- contiguousSharing a common boundary
bordering · next to · beside · adjoining · flush · juxtaposed · alongside · touching · back-to-back · shoulder to shoulder
packed
Filled to capacity
wedged · sardines · congested · overcrowded · tight · compressed · dense · huddled · bunched · clustered
close-knit
Strongly united group
inseparable · thick as thieves · hand in glove · joined at the hip · bosom · chummy · tight-knit · bonded · connected · intertwined
cheek to jowlmiles apart
spread out · distant · at arm's length · poles apart · worlds apart
cheek to jowlestranged
Separated by emotional distance
distant · at arm's length · aloof · detached · standoffish
cheek, cheeks, cheeky, cheekily, cheekiness, cheekier, cheekiest, jowl, jowls