to the core
idiom
: in a very complete or extreme way
—used for emphasis
He is patriotic to the core.
Her family is English to the core.
He's rotten to the core.
They were shaken to the core.
Examples of to the core in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The wind would whistle through and chill us to the core, but Dad thought the radiant electric heating cost too much.
—
James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
Some, their principles unbreakable, have to live their philosophy, not just to get to the core of it but to evade the accusation of hypocrisy.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 11 Jan. 2025
Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde
By Jeff Guinn
The Half Life of Valery K, by Natasha Pulley
From its first pages, The Half Life of Valery K gets to the core of what humans facing a seemingly hopeless situation must do to carry on.
—Vanessa Armstrong, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
The Tour de Ski is Diggins to the core, a race that tests every skill in a skier’s toolbox and requires next-level mental fortitude.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for to the core 
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James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
Some, their principles unbreakable, have to live their philosophy, not just to get to the core of it but to evade the accusation of hypocrisy.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 11 Jan. 2025
Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde
By Jeff Guinn
The Half Life of Valery K, by Natasha Pulley
From its first pages, The Half Life of Valery K gets to the core of what humans facing a seemingly hopeless situation must do to carry on.
—Vanessa Armstrong, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
The Tour de Ski is Diggins to the core, a race that tests every skill in a skier’s toolbox and requires next-level mental fortitude.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for to the core
Dictionary Entries Near to the core
Cite this Entry
“To the core.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to%20the%20core. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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