in the right place at the right time
Meaning
Being somewhere at the optimal moment so you benefit from luck or opportunity.
Origin
A straightforward metaphor: success often depends on being positioned where an opportunity occurs and arriving at the moment it happens. The phrasing has been used broadly in modern English business and everyday contexts.
Notes
Often credits luck/timing rather than skill alone; can be modest or matter-of-fact. Used in business, careers, and chance encounters.
Examples
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She got her first big break by being in the right place at the right time during a conference coffee line.
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We found the lost dog because we were in the right place at the right time when it ran across the street.
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He met his future business partner by being in the right place at the right time at a small networking event.
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The reporter was in the right place at the right time and captured the moment on camera.
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Sometimes success is just being in the right place at the right time, but you still have to be ready.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually a fixed prepositional phrase used as a complement: "be in the right place at the right time"; can modify nouns ("the right-place-right-time moment"). Articles are typically "the" in both spots.
Synonyms
- in the right place at the right moment
- there at just the right time
- well-timed
- fortunate timing
Antonyms
- in the wrong place at the wrong time