bread-and-but·ter
ˈbred-ən(d)-ˈbə-tər 
1
a
: being as basic as the earning of one's livelihood
bread-and-butter issues
b(1)
: reliable
our bread-and-butter repertoire
(2)
: dependable as a source of income
a company's bread-and-butter products
2
: sent or given as thanks for hospitality
a bread-and-butter letter
: a means of sustenance or livelihood
Examples of bread-and-butter in a Sentence
Noun
Casual clothing has always been the company's bread and butter.
Recent Examples on the Web
Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
The Texas project is central to Samsung Chairman Jay Y. Lee’s strategy to expand beyond its bread-and-butter memory chips into contract chip manufacturing.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 28 July 2025
Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
In 2010, cable TV was still big business — and these sort of reality shows were basic cable’s bread and butter.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bread-and-butter
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Adjective
This could impact Intel's bread-and-butter CPU business.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
The Texas project is central to Samsung Chairman Jay Y. Lee’s strategy to expand beyond its bread-and-butter memory chips into contract chip manufacturing.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 28 July 2025
Noun
Through thick and thin, strikeouts are Cease's bread and butter.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
In 2010, cable TV was still big business — and these sort of reality shows were basic cable’s bread and butter.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bread-and-butter
Cite this Entry
“Bread-and-butter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bread-and-butter. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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