at bottom

Idioms  

1. Fundamentally, basically; also, in reality. For example, He may speak somewhat bluntly, but at bottom he's always honest. Charles Dickens used this idiom in Nicholas Nickleby (1838): “He's a good pony at bottom.” [Early 1700s]

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Example Sentences

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at bottom

Their stories are sometimes convoluted, but at bottom they boil down to the same three elements: salt, wind and water.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

Cole Palmer scored a first half hat-trick as fifth-placed Chelsea won 3-1 at bottom of the table Wolves.

From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026

Solving specific problems, at bottom, is a matter of logos.

From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2025

“I do think I am very direct but at bottom, my style reflects the fact that I want to win and the Court to step into the shoes of the party I am representing.”

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 13, 2024

Yet Max had given him the faith that at bottom all men lived as he lived and felt as he felt.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright