few meters beyond

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "few meters beyond" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a distance that is slightly further than a specified point or location. Example: "The park is just a few meters beyond the main entrance of the building."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

But insurgents started placing contact triggers a few meters beyond the bomb.

The Economist

To do so would require a very fine level of resolution regarding power line configurations and residential locations of the order of a few meters, beyond the capability of most grid maps and home indicators, although recent advances in remote sensing, including satellite imagery, may achieve the required level of resolution (Bernstein and Di Gesù 1999).

Environmental Health Perspectives

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Beamforming directional antennas are needed simultaneously in transmission and in reception to communicate over distances beyond a few meters.

Nano Communication Networks

To compensate for the path loss at such high frequencies, high antenna directivity is required if transmission range shall be beyond a few meters.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

That's not a problem beyond a few meters because the focussing system is only accurate for close-up objects - and the brain knows this.

Huffington Post

The team's analysis now shows that beyond a depth of a few meters — far less than the depth these birds can reach — that plastron collapses, allowing water to penetrate into the feather structures.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

For instance, my apartment building has about five delivery restaurants inside or within a few meters, and previously, few would have ventured out beyond a handful of very close options.

TechCrunch

"This is less than a few meters from my apartment".

The New York Times

It's still really a few thousand years it goes up by a few meters, a few thousand years it goes down by a few meters.

The New York Times

The outward flow near Io is a few meters per second.

Advances in Space Research

All she had to do was walk a few meters to buy a tie!

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing distances, use "few meters beyond" to indicate a short but noticeable distance past a specific point. This phrase is particularly useful when precision isn't critical but the relative position is.

Common error

Avoid using "few meters beyond" when the actual distance is significantly larger. This phrase implies a short distance, so using it for distances of tens or hundreds of meters would be misleading.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "few meters beyond" primarily functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb or clause. It specifies the location or extent to which something extends past a given point. Ludwig AI confirms its standard usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

35%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Academia

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "few meters beyond" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to indicate a short distance past a specific reference point. Ludwig AI confirms its usability. While the phrase is versatile, it's important to consider the context and ensure that the implied distance aligns with reality. In formal contexts, more precise measurements might be preferred, but in general conversation, "few meters beyond" serves as a clear and effective way to communicate relative spatial positions. You should select more specific alternatives or descriptors according to your specific use case.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

just a bit past

Simplifies the language to indicate a small distance beyond.

slightly past

Uses a simpler descriptor for distance while retaining the concept of exceeding a point.

immediately past

Emphasizes the minimal distance beyond the given point.

just over

Similar to 'slightly past' but implies a minimal distance beyond the reference point.

not far beyond

Highlights the nearness while still noting the position beyond a point.

a little further than

Replaces "few meters" with a more general term, losing the specific distance but maintaining the relative position.

beyond a close range of

Rephrases to emphasize exceeding a certain proximity.

a stone's throw beyond

Employs an idiomatic expression to indicate a short distance further.

a short distance from

Focuses on the proximity while still implying being farther than a specific location, changing the direction of the reference.

a couple of steps ahead of

Uses a more informal and less precise measurement of distance.

FAQs

How can I use "few meters beyond" in a sentence?

You can use "few meters beyond" to describe a location that is a short distance further than a specific point. For example, "The entrance is a "few meters beyond" the corner store."

What's a more precise alternative to "few meters beyond"?

If you need to be more precise, specify the exact distance, such as "five meters beyond" or "approximately three meters past."

Which is correct, "a few meters beyond" or "a few meters ahead"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct, but they describe different spatial relationships. "Few meters beyond" implies a position past a reference point, while "a few meters ahead" suggests a position in front of the observer.

What can I say instead of "few meters beyond" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, you might use "slightly further than" or "a short distance past."