a matter of
idiom
1
—used to refer to a small amount
It cooks in a matter of (a few) minutes.
The crisis was resolved in a matter of a few hours.
The ball was foul by a matter of inches.
2
—used to say that one thing results from or requires another
Learning to ride a bicycle is a matter of practice.
His success was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
It's only a matter of time before/until we catch him.
3
—used to explain the reason for something
She insists on honesty as a matter of principle.
All requests for free tickets are turned down as a matter of policy.
Examples of a matter of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The water got so hot, so fast that corals cooked to death in a matter of days.
—
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Today, as a government shutdown darkens our national museums and the National Endowment for the Humanities is gutted, the danger is no longer a matter of rhetoric but of radical, systemic action.
—Andrew Weinstein, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
The video of her first walk after the surgery has generated over 180 comments in a matter of days, as social media users praised her fighting spirit.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Beyond break-ups, also when there’s a death of someone close, from that point on it’s as if life is a matter of surviving that absence, going on living despite that absence.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a matter of
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Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Today, as a government shutdown darkens our national museums and the National Endowment for the Humanities is gutted, the danger is no longer a matter of rhetoric but of radical, systemic action.
—Andrew Weinstein, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
The video of her first walk after the surgery has generated over 180 comments in a matter of days, as social media users praised her fighting spirit.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Beyond break-ups, also when there’s a death of someone close, from that point on it’s as if life is a matter of surviving that absence, going on living despite that absence.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a matter of
Cite this Entry
“A matter of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20matter%20of. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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