'At / from a distance 'means the same , that is , from a place that is not near From a distance , I cannot make out who he is . He is too far . Its not fun watching boxing from a distance . I thought you were Peter from a distance 'In/into the distance 'means at a point ( as in place) far away On a clear day , you can see the ships sailing in the distance . You can see Paris from here in the distance . He just stood there , looking into the distance