the nitty-gritty
noun
informal
: the most important and basic facts or details about something
He deals with the nitty-gritty of running the department.
Let's get down to the nitty-gritty and find out what happened.
Examples of the nitty-gritty in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bose would rather float in the sky-ocean than get down to the nitty-gritty.
—
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Delving more into the nitty-gritty, the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommends 25 grams for women and girls ages 14 to 18, 28 grams for women ages 19 to 30, 25 grams again for women ages 31 to 50, and 22 grams for women ages 51 and over.
—Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 23 Feb. 2026
Barrett will be in charge of the nitty-gritty details of the quarterback position and will play a huge role in Caleb Williams’ development.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
To assess whether social media is generally harmful to kids and teens, lawyers will have to argue about the nitty-gritty of a complicated and conflicted scientific field.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
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Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Delving more into the nitty-gritty, the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommends 25 grams for women and girls ages 14 to 18, 28 grams for women ages 19 to 30, 25 grams again for women ages 31 to 50, and 22 grams for women ages 51 and over.
—Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 23 Feb. 2026
Barrett will be in charge of the nitty-gritty details of the quarterback position and will play a huge role in Caleb Williams’ development.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
To assess whether social media is generally harmful to kids and teens, lawyers will have to argue about the nitty-gritty of a complicated and conflicted scientific field.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the nitty-gritty
Cite this Entry
“The nitty-gritty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20nitty-gritty. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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