bottom line

NOUN

center or central factor

Synonyms

STRONGEST

core crux essence income profit reality

WEAK

basis conclusion determination fiber final decision fundamentals key point last word loss main idea main point main thing meat and potatoes name of the game net nitty-gritty nuts and bolts point sum and substance what it's all about whole story

ADJECTIVE

of key importance

Synonyms

STRONGEST

cardinal critical crucial essential fundamental important indispensable

STRONG

necessary underlying vital

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The bottom line: You may want to remain invested in equities during April or even increase your holdings.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

He worries about how long it will take to replace the GM business and what the lack of work means for the city’s bottom line.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

He urged Lebanon and Israel to use the Unifil mechanism for dialogue, saying "the bottom line is that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon needs to be respected".

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The bottom line is that they had to do something in order to go home, and so they did.

From Slate • Mar. 28, 2026

In evading and warding off wage increases, employers are of course behaving in an economically rational fashion; their business isn’t to make their employees more comfortable and secure but to maximize the bottom line.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

bottom line

Example Sentences

Related Words