1
a
: the essential or salient point : crux
b
: the primary or most important consideration
2
a
: the line at the bottom of a financial report that shows the net profit or loss
b
: financial considerations (such as cost or profit or loss)
c
: the final result
Examples of bottom-line in a Sentence
Noun
If our flight is late, we will miss our connection. That's the bottom line.
A student with special needs can stress a school's budget, but the bottom line is that the state must provide for the child's education.
How will these changes affect our bottom line?
He's always got his eye on the bottom line.
He says his bottom line is $120,000.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Silverberg, JSTOR Daily, 13 June 2025
Limiting credit card benefits could put a dent in the loyalty miles and points game for consumers and a proverbial crater in the bottom line for airlines and hotels that rely on credit card revenue to offset slim margins elsewhere.
—Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Oracle shares soar after earnings beat Shares of Oracle surged 13% after the company reported fiscal fourth-quarter results that beat on the top and bottom lines and indicated more cloud growth ahead.
—Nur Hikmah Md Ali, CNBC, 13 June 2025
More broadly, airlines are watching closely because of the implications for their bottom line given that fuel represents about 30% of expenditures at U.S. airlines.
—Calif.
senior Correspondent, Time, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottom-line
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Mainstream publishers are often still beholden to the bottom line and have to balance newsworthy stories with content that will attract both readers and advertisers.
—David Silverberg, JSTOR Daily, 13 June 2025
Limiting credit card benefits could put a dent in the loyalty miles and points game for consumers and a proverbial crater in the bottom line for airlines and hotels that rely on credit card revenue to offset slim margins elsewhere.
—Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Oracle shares soar after earnings beat Shares of Oracle surged 13% after the company reported fiscal fourth-quarter results that beat on the top and bottom lines and indicated more cloud growth ahead.
—Nur Hikmah Md Ali, CNBC, 13 June 2025
More broadly, airlines are watching closely because of the implications for their bottom line given that fuel represents about 30% of expenditures at U.S. airlines.
—Calif.
senior Correspondent, Time, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottom-line
Cite this Entry
“Bottom-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottom-line. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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