the real thing
noun
: something that is genuine and not a copy or imitation : something that is truly valuable or important
The diamond turned out to be the real thing.
You've done very well in your training. Let's just hope you're ready for the real thing.
Examples of the real thing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Even shows filmed live added some artificial laughs, sometimes to supplement the audience and sometimes because the laugh track sounded more authentic than the real thing.
—
Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2024
In an age of baseball video games can pass for the real thing and fantasy leagues keep score in real time, the group is a throwback.
—Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2024
Freshly picked salad greens, kohlrabi sculpted into a scallop (and somehow even more delicious than the real thing), and plums baked into a featherlight clafouti all share the table.
—Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 21 Mar. 2024
There’s not a trace of the ersatz substance in this brilliant play, which is worth its weight in the real thing.
—Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024
Fortunately, Amazon has a ton of options, from minimalistic gold bands to silicone bands that are perfect for active travelers to dazzling stunners that look like the real thing.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2024
By the 1950s, most of the top cigarette brands—Lucky Strike, Chesterfield, Philip Morris—had their candy equivalent made by other companies, with packaging that very closely matched the real thing.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 29 Mar. 2024
Videos will also have a watermark to distinguish them from the real thing, but as my colleague Emilia David points out, watermarks aren’t a perfect solution.
—Emma Roth, The Verge, 13 Mar. 2024
Grow Your Own Centerpiece Ditch the plastic grass and plant the real thing in an Easter basket this year.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024
Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2024
In an age of baseball video games can pass for the real thing and fantasy leagues keep score in real time, the group is a throwback.
—Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2024
Freshly picked salad greens, kohlrabi sculpted into a scallop (and somehow even more delicious than the real thing), and plums baked into a featherlight clafouti all share the table.
—Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 21 Mar. 2024
There’s not a trace of the ersatz substance in this brilliant play, which is worth its weight in the real thing.
—Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024
Fortunately, Amazon has a ton of options, from minimalistic gold bands to silicone bands that are perfect for active travelers to dazzling stunners that look like the real thing.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2024
By the 1950s, most of the top cigarette brands—Lucky Strike, Chesterfield, Philip Morris—had their candy equivalent made by other companies, with packaging that very closely matched the real thing.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 29 Mar. 2024
Videos will also have a watermark to distinguish them from the real thing, but as my colleague Emilia David points out, watermarks aren’t a perfect solution.
—Emma Roth, The Verge, 13 Mar. 2024
Grow Your Own Centerpiece Ditch the plastic grass and plant the real thing in an Easter basket this year.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the real thing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the real thing
Cite this Entry
“The real thing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20real%20thing. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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