social distancing
noun
medical
: the practice of maintaining a greater than usual physical distance (such as six feet or more) from other people or of avoiding direct contact with people or objects in public places during the outbreak of a contagious disease in order to minimize exposure and reduce the transmission of infection : physical distancing
San Francisco issued recommendations for social distancing on Friday, advising residents to stay home as much as possible and avoid congregating in large groups.—
Taryn Luna and Melody Gutierrez
Taryn Luna and Melody GutierrezUnder a new "social distancing" strategy, handshaking could be discouraged, with other, less tactile forms of greeting taking its place.—Rosa Silverman
Rosa SilvermanThe term social distancing may be foreign to some, but the concept is one often practiced during the flu season, said Dora Anne Mills, the state's former top health official and currently chief health improvement officer for MaineHealth.—Gillian Graham
Gillian GrahamExamples of social distancing in a Sentence
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Health experts worry as Meta rolls back some COVID misinformation policies
A report from the U.S. Surgeon General in 2021 found that misinformation led to people rejecting masking and social distancing, using unproven treatment and rejecting COVID-19 vaccines.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2025
There were new mandates around testing, isolation, social distancing, face masks, and sanitizing (hands as well as surfaces).
—David Rosowsky, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
One theory for the spike is that cases fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, as mask-wearing, social distancing and other infection protocols helped to protect against whooping cough.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 12 Oct. 2024
But because people were following pandemic protocols such as masking and social distancing, cases did not soar.
—Sabrina Malhi The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 26 Dec. 2024
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Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2025
There were new mandates around testing, isolation, social distancing, face masks, and sanitizing (hands as well as surfaces).
—David Rosowsky, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
One theory for the spike is that cases fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, as mask-wearing, social distancing and other infection protocols helped to protect against whooping cough.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 12 Oct. 2024
But because people were following pandemic protocols such as masking and social distancing, cases did not soar.
—Sabrina Malhi The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for social distancing
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Cite this Entry
“Social distancing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20distancing. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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