brass tacks

plural noun

: details of immediate practical importance
usually used in the phrase get down to brass tacks

Examples of brass tacks in a Sentence

after the usual introductions and requisite pleasantries, we got down to the brass tacks of our business proposal
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Few monogamous couples, that is, get down to the brass tacks of chalking the contours—or, rather, the borders—of their coupledom, including those inclined to discuss their transition to exclusivity. Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2024 But brass tacks on Syria: this is arguably a good geopolitical development for Trump and the US. Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024 Down to brass tacks, Kaffee believes the teenage Marines were merely following orders, to exercise a Code Red. Duane Byrge, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Dec. 2024 Some of this is brass tacks, but needed to be redone and re-looked at. Megan Poinski, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for brass tacks 

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brass tacks was in 1863

Dictionary Entries Near brass tacks

Cite this Entry

“Brass tacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brass%20tacks. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!