close quarters
Very limited room
Close quarters describes very near proximity, especially when cramped or confining.
The phrase comes from naval combat—fighting at close quarters meant ships were near enough for hand-to-hand battle.
Now it applies to any tight space or intimate distance: Living in close quarters with roommates tests any friendship.
The alley forced close quarters combat.
At grappling distance
- meleeDisordered group skirmish
- grapplingClose-quarters combat technique
- brawlDisorderly group fight
- scuffleBrief disorderly struggle
skirmish · infighting · clinch · bayonet · trench warfare · boarding action · room clearing · knife fight
Fearing confined spaces
- crampedUncomfortably lacking space
- tightFirmly stretched or fitting
- restrictedLimited in scope
- narrowOf small width
compact · constricted · suffocating · overcrowded · packed · squeezed · hemmed-in · boxed-in
Directly next to
- nearbyAt small distance
- proximityNearness in space
- neighboringSituated beside another
- confined spaceRestricted enclosed area
galley · cockpit · cabin · berth · bunk · submarine · spacecraft · tent
Warm and snug
- familiarKnown from experience
- personalRelating to one's self
- warmModerately heated, or friendly
- snugComfortably close-fitting
private · face-to-face · elbow-to-elbow · huddled · shoulder-to-shoulder · cheek-by-jowl · nestled · communal
hand-to-hand
At grappling distance
scuffle · skirmish · infighting · clinch · bayonet · trench warfare · boarding action · room clearing · knife fight · street fight
claustrophobic
Fearing confined spaces
- crampedUncomfortably lacking space
- tightFirmly stretched or fitting
- restrictedLimited in scope
narrow · compact · constricted · suffocating · overcrowded · packed · squeezed · hemmed-in · boxed-in · stifling
adjacent
Directly next to
- nearbyAt small distance
- proximityNearness in space
- neighboringSituated beside another
confined space · galley · cockpit · cabin · berth · bunk · submarine · spacecraft · tent · dorm
cozy
Warm and snug
snug · private · face-to-face · elbow-to-elbow · huddled · shoulder-to-shoulder · cheek-by-jowl · nestled · communal · bonding
- close rangepoint-blank, short-range, striking distance, within reach, arm's reach
- combatbattle, fight, combat, unarmed combat, grappling
- combat rangeshort range, medium range, long range, point blank, effective range
- combat skillsgrappling, striking, blocking, parrying, dodging
- combat tacticsflanking, ambush, feint, skirmish, firefight
- jungle warfareguerrilla tactics, dense foliage, jungle boots, machete, infiltration
close quartersopen terrain
wide open spaces · open space · open ground · open country · open field
close quarterslong range
Covering vast distances
artillery range · distant · remote · spread out · spaced out
close, quarters, closed, closing, exclude, closer, enclose, closely, closure