Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

heart of the matter

NOUN
nitty-gritty
Synonyms
STRONG
basics core essence focus fundamentals gist heart kernel meat quintessence reality root soul substance
WEAK
bottom line brass tacks chief part chief thing cold fact essential details essential part hard fact important matter meat and potatoes name of the game nuts and bolts the facts the name of the game
Antonyms
STRONG
exterior exteriority outside surface

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.

See Examples For:

At the heart of the matter is actually a question of soccer tactics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

The film gets to the heart of the matter quickly and stays there, spreading out to make itself comfortable.

From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026

At the heart of the matter are longstanding rules that cap the number of households one broadcaster can reach.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026

"We have to overlook those comments and remarks and focus on the heart of the matter which is the humanitarian crisis," he added.

From Barron's ● Nov. 25, 2025

Then Minerva moved swiftly through the clutter to the heart of the matter.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training