nutshell
noun
nut·shell
ˈnət-ˌshel 
1
: the hard external covering in which the kernel of a nut is enclosed
2
: something of small size, amount, or scope
see also in a nutshell
Examples of nutshell in a Sentence
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That’s Witherspoon in a nutshell.
—
Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
That, in a nutshell, is the explanation of how a state trooper working for District Attorney Marian Ryan could have been involved in a fatal traffic accident in Woburn that may have involved alcohol.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
That’s the universe in a nutshell.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 6 Feb. 2026
In a nutshell, those new federal rules include work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients, more frequent eligibility checks and citizenship verification for applicants to these government benefit programs.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
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Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
That, in a nutshell, is the explanation of how a state trooper working for District Attorney Marian Ryan could have been involved in a fatal traffic accident in Woburn that may have involved alcohol.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
That’s the universe in a nutshell.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 6 Feb. 2026
In a nutshell, those new federal rules include work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients, more frequent eligibility checks and citizenship verification for applicants to these government benefit programs.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nutshell
Cite this Entry
“Nutshell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nutshell. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nutshell
noun
nut·shell
ˈnət-ˌshel
: the shell of a nut
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