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Synonyms

in a nutshell

Idioms  

  1. Concisely, in a few words, as in Here's our proposal—in a nutshell, we want to sell the business to you. This hyperbolic expression alludes to the Roman writer Pliny's description of Homer's Iliad being copied in so tiny a hand that it could fit in a nutshell. For a time it referred to anything compressed, but from the 1500s on it referred mainly to written or spoken words.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In a nutshell: My son-in-law plays piano and doesn’t make much money.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

In a nutshell, buy the big software ETF before earnings.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

In a nutshell, his response to the hurricanes has been bizarre and unhelpful.

From Slate • Oct. 9, 2024

In a nutshell – these instructions are when a judge explains to the jury how to interpret the law and evidence while they’re deciding on their verdict.

From BBC • May 30, 2024

In a nutshell, slot machines work on a principal called variable or intermittent reinforcement.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.