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.
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 But in the private markets, as a reporter, brass tacks numbers on how startups and the VC firms that back them are performing are a whole lot harder to come by. Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 24 Apr. 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 17 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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