Definitions

nitty-gritty

[nit-ee-grit-ee] / ˈnɪt iˈgrɪt i /

NOUN

basic facts

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 heart of the matter 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:

nitty-gritty

While Brussels is setting out the nitty-gritty of the reforms it wants from Magyar, leaders will also be pushing for a new approach on Ukraine.

From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026

Say you don’t pay much attention to the nitty-gritty of politics and think they’re all a bunch of clowns.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026

Keep the nitty-gritty of your plans to your financial manager and attorney — but explain the spirit of the plans to your kids.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 6, 2026

That meant the type of nitty-gritty negotiations needed to hash out potential structural changes to the sport never got off the ground.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

In short, they performed the sort of nitty-gritty credit analysis on the mortgage loans that should have been done before the loans were made in the first place.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

nitty-gritty

Example Sentences

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