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3. on the heels of

on the heels of

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on the heels of something

Fig. soon after something. There was a rainstorm on the heels of the windstorm. The team held a victory celebration on the heels of their winning season.

See also: heel, of, on

(hard) on the heels of something

close behind or soon after something The fighting came on the heels of even deadlier combat in a village ten miles to the north.

Usage notes: usually used with the verbs come or follow and also used in the forms close on the heels of something or hot on the heels of something: The manager's resignation followed close on the heels of the hiring of a new chairman.

See also: heel, of, on

on the heels of

Also, hard on the heels of. Directly behind, immediately following, as in Mom's birthday comes on the heels of Mother's Day, or Hard on the heels of the flood there was a tornado. The hard in the variant acts as an intensifier, giving it the sense of "close on the heels of". [Early 1800s] Also see at one's heels.

See also: heel, of, on