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]

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at bottom

They lacked creativity in a goalless draw at Hibernian last month, surrendered leads to Motherwell and Celtic, and had to come from two down to rescue a point at bottom side Livingston.

From BBC ● Mar. 1, 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

But at bottom the document is oddly unrealistic about the world’s threats.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025

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

From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2025

That head: Bald for most of its surface, trimmed at bottom with a tangled white beard, it resembled an ivory Christmas ball resting on a bed of excelsior.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson