hot on the heels of (someone or something)
1. Following closely behind someone or something. Look, the cops are hot on the heels of the bank robbers! Even though I called for him to come back, Rover remained hot on the heels of the two startled kids. I thought we were hot on their heels, but look—their hideout's empty.
2. Close to defeating or overtaking a competitor. The young politician is hot on the heels of the leading candidate. The underdogs have been hard on the heels of the returning champions for the entire second half. Man, Phillies have been hot on the heels of the Braves in the standings all season.
3. Happening very soon after something else. The new revelation comes hot on the heels of the previous scandal. The team's championship victory was bittersweet, coming hot on the heels of their coach's untimely passing. The announcement of the company's bankruptcy comes hot on the heels of its CEO's sudden resignation just a month prior.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.