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Definitions

in a nutshell

Part of Speech:

All (9) Adjective (8) Adverb (1)

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compact adj.
concise adj.
pointed adj.
short adj.
short and sweet adj.
succinct adj.
summary adj.
terse adj.
briefly adv.

ADJECTIVE

compact

Synonyms

STRONG

pointed

WEAK

boiled down compendious concise epigrammatic laconic make a long story short marrowy meaty pithy short and sweet succinct terse to the point

Antonyms

WEAK

big large lengthy long loose slack unabridged uncondensed

ADJECTIVE

concise

Synonyms

STRONGEST

pithy succinct terse

WEAK

abridged boiled down breviloquent brief compact compendiary compendious compressed condensed curt epigrammatic laconic lean marrowy meaty short and sweet summary synoptic

Antonyms

STRONGEST

lengthy long-winded wordy

WEAK

expansive long redundant repetitive

ADJECTIVE

pointed

Synonyms

STRONGEST

barbed incisive pertinent sarcastic sharp telling trenchant

STRONG

cutting insinuating keen

WEAK

accurate acid acute boiled down calling a spade a spade laid on the line legit meaty on the button on the nose pregnant right to it short-and-sweet tart

Antonyms

STRONGEST

gentle kind nice stupid

WEAK

calming mild soothing

ADJECTIVE

short

Synonyms

STRONGEST

abbreviated brief crisp precise shortened terse

STRONG

bare compressed condensed curtailed decreased diminished fleeting lessened little summarized summary

WEAK

aphoristic boiled down breviloquent compendiary compendious concise curtate cut short cut to the bone decurtate epigrammatic laconic momentary not protracted pithy sententious short and sweet short-term succinct undersized unprolonged unsustained

Antonyms

STRONGEST

enduring lasting lengthy

STRONG

long

WEAK

unabridged

ADJECTIVE

short and sweet

Synonyms

WEAK

brief compact concise condensed succinct summary

ADJECTIVE

succinct

Synonyms

STRONGEST

blunt concise curt pithy terse

WEAK

boiled down breviloquent brusque compact compendiary compendious condensed cut to the bone in few words laconic short summary

Antonyms

STRONGEST

lengthy long-winded polite wordy

ADJECTIVE

summary

Synonyms

STRONGEST

arbitrary cursory curt hasty succinct terse

STRONG

brief compact run through short

WEAK

boiled down breviloquent compacted compendiary compendious condensed laconic perfunctory pithy recapped rehashed run down short and sweet

Antonyms

STRONGEST

lengthy long-winded wordy

STRONG

large long unabridged

ADJECTIVE

terse

Synonyms

STRONGEST

brusque concise cryptic curt elliptical incisive laconic pithy precise succinct trenchant

WEAK

abrupt aphoristic boiled down breviloquent clear-cut clipped close compact compendiary compendious condensed crisp cut to the bone epigrammatic exact gnomic lean neat pointed sententious short and sweet snappy summary taut to the point

Antonyms

STRONGEST

gentle kind lengthy long-winded nice polite verbose wordy

WEAK

prolix

ADVERB

briefly

Synonyms

STRONGEST

shortly

WEAK

in brief in short succinctly summarily to sum things up

Antonyms

WEAK

at length long-windedly permanently verbosely

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.

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in a nutshell

The summit "in a nutshell, will be an opportunity to emphasise that Europe's security is a 360-degree challenge", said a senior EU official.

From Barron's ● May 4, 2026

So in a nutshell it’s a very affordable rent.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 29, 2026

"It will be Starmerism in a nutshell – an extraordinarily painful route to complete exoneration," they said.

From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2026

Dimon, in a nutshell, told him to stop lying on TV, according to people familiar with the conversation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026

It means “I came, I saw, I conquered,” and Caesar meant it as a pithy description of a battle, which, in a nutshell, he won.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

in a nutshell

Example Sentences

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