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

Asking media companies for money in exchange for carrying the nitty-gritty meetings of government at a time of tumult in the sector is no easy task. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. —Ali Barthwell, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025

Even after nearly a full day Thursday scrutinizing Tapia’s timecards and payroll codes, both sides returned Friday to the nitty-gritty. —Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025

What Is Vinho Verde? Without getting into the nitty-gritty, Vinho Verde is not a grape, but rather a region in northeastern Portugal known for its lush, green landscape and production of equally refreshing white wine named for the area’s vegetation. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for the nitty-gritty

• atomicity
• catholicity
• ellipticity
• historicity
• mutuality
• bitty
• city
• ditty
• gritty
• kitty
• nitty
• pity