millimeters away from

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "millimeters away from" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a very small distance between two objects or points. Example: "The car was parked just millimeters away from the curb, making it difficult for pedestrians to pass."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Science & Research

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

31 human-written examples

On the track, riding without brakes and literally "millimeters away from people," he learned the art of staying calm under pressure.

The New York Times - Sports

Fletcher, the surviving victim, was stabbed in the neck; the knife was "millimeters away from his jugular," his girlfriend, Miranda Helm, told the Oregonian.

The Washington Post

They finally found the spot, several millimeters away from the red blotch area, where the shocks made the patient's arms twitch.

The Washington Post

Images showed that he had a long gash on his neck where the knife had been "millimeters away from his jugular," Fletcher's girlfriend, Miranda Helm, told the Oregonian.

The Washington Post

One day this fall, visitors pressed their faces a few millimeters away from the fat fish, which clunked into each other, formed traffic jams and sometimes turned their vacant expressions on the tourists.

The New York Times - Travel

In contrast, we found that the total area of red fluorescence decreased directly adjacent to and several millimeters away from the disease front in chronic and acute Montipora white syndrome.

Nature

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

29 human-written examples

Does it even make sense to say they occurred at a point one millimeter away from Brutus's hypothalamus?

Encyclopedia Britannica

The infrared-laser pulses were transmitted to the embryo via fiber-optic fiber (bottom) placed just a millimeter away from the developing heart.

MIT Technology Review

I ask myself, why is this cream not proudly full price at Sephora? Often the problem seems to be not the product itself, which in my experiences have all worked fine, but the presentation — a label puzzlingly naked of any graphic design, or a scent that is one millimeter away from Pond's cold cream.

The New York Times

See, the extended idea is that the aliens, or alien worlds, exist a millimeter away from us on a membrane -- a "brane," as the physicists call it, as if prepping the word to be handed off to Hollywood -- composed of strings, which are very teeny.

The New York Times - Arts

"But we are not going to move even one millimeter away from this". The Arab leaders will also have to decide on measures to overhaul the league itself this week, including considering a proposal to form an "Arab parliament" similar to the parliament of the African Union.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "millimeters away from" to precisely describe small distances, especially in technical or scientific contexts where accuracy is important.

Common error

Avoid using "millimeters away from" in casual conversation where a more general term like "close to" would suffice. Overusing precise measurements can sound unnatural or overly formal.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "millimeters away from" functions as a prepositional phrase, modifying a noun or pronoun to specify the distance between two points. It emphasizes the proximity with a high degree of precision, as demonstrated by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

40%

Science & Research

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "millimeters away from" precisely describes minimal distances, commonly used in contexts requiring accuracy like science, medicine, and engineering. While grammatically sound, its overuse in casual conversation can seem overly formal. As the Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is used correctly and is most appropriate when precision is key. Alternatives like "close to" or "nearly touching" may suffice in less technical settings. The phrase appears most frequently in news and scientific publications.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

within a fraction of an inch from

This is a more descriptive way to convey a very short distance.

a hair's breadth from

This idiom suggests an extremely small distance, emphasizing near misses or close calls.

almost touching

This suggests the items are so close that they are nearly in contact.

in close proximity to

This alternative uses more formal language to indicate nearness.

in immediate adjacency to

This is a more technical and formal way to express being very close to something.

scarcely removed from

This emphasizes a minimal separation, often in a conceptual sense.

a short distance from

This alternative provides a less specific measure of proximity.

in the vicinity of

This phrase indicates a general area around something, rather than a precise distance.

just a stone's throw from

This idiom indicates a short distance, but is less precise than the original phrase.

within spitting distance of

This is an informal idiom indicating close proximity.

FAQs

How can I use "millimeters away from" in a sentence?

The phrase "millimeters away from" is used to describe a very short distance between two points. For example, "The surgeon positioned the laser just millimeters away from the nerve."

What phrases are similar to "millimeters away from"?

Similar phrases include "in close proximity to", "a hair's breadth from", or "almost touching", which all indicate nearness but with varying degrees of precision and formality.

Is it better to say "millimeters away from" or "centimeters away from"?

The choice between "millimeters away from" and "centimeters away from" depends on the scale of the distance you are describing. Use "millimeters" for very small distances and "centimeters" for larger, but still relatively small, distances.

When should I use "millimeters away from" instead of "close to"?

Use "millimeters away from" when you need to be precise about the distance. "Close to" is a more general term that doesn't provide a specific measurement.