smack dab

or smack-dab

[ smak-dab ]

adverb

, Informal.

1. directly; squarely:

   smack dab in the middle.

Word History and Origins

Origin of smack dab¹

First recorded in 1890–95; smack ²( def ) (in the sense “directly, straight”) + dab ¹( def ) (in the sense “a quick, light blow,” used adverbially)

Example Sentences

But Trump has bounced back to a seven-point lead with low/mid-engagement voters, 52%-45% — smack dab in between his 10-point lead over Biden among those voters in May and his three-point lead over Harris in August.

From Salon

Done a couple of psychological thrillers, “Just Cause” and “Asunder”, but nothing that is smack dab in that genre of horror.

From Salon

And at 7,000 feet, Flagstaff is smack dab in the middle of the physiological sweet spot, high enough to reap the benefits of living at altitude but not high enough to produce adverse side effects such as headaches, nausea, dizziness and sleep problems that can occur above 9,000 feet.

From Los Angeles Times

So when you layer on politicization, then people are angry because they link it back to real life — and that's made that science denialism rise from anywhere from 5% to 15% of population to smack dab at 50%.

From Salon

Berry has since worked to change the way culture views women at this stage of their lives and founded Respin, a digital community focused on perimenopause and menopausal health that speaks to women like her — people who are “smack dab in the middle of menopause or on the cusp of it,” as well as those “who want to be ready for what is coming down the line,” according to the organization’s website.

From Los Angeles Times