nuts and bolts

noun

: the working parts or elements

: the practical workings of a machine or enterprise as opposed to theoretical considerations or speculative possibilities

nuts-and-bolts

ˈnəts-ən(d)-ˈbōlts

adjective

Examples of nuts and bolts in a Sentence

the nuts and bolts of the merger of the two companies have yet to be worked out

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.

Interviewees like Mikkel Nielsen & Xenia-Anni Nielsen were able to advise not just on details of the WoW world but also on the nuts and bolts of post-production, such as animation timing and color grading. —

Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024 Scorpio October 23 – November 21 Your emotions about a current health issue could be making the problem seem much bigger than its nuts and bolts justify in reality. —

Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 13 Nov. 2024 In decades past, the building served as this rural town’s hardware store where farmers shopped for hammers, nuts and bolts. —

Giovanna Dell'orto, Twin Cities, 31 Oct. 2024 The case itself plays out with some dramatic twists and turns and with more of an emphasis on the legal nuts and bolts than usual. —

Noel Murray, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nuts and bolts

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of nuts and bolts was in 1947

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Nuts and bolts.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nuts%20and%20bolts. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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