Dictionary.com

back-to-basics

[ bak-tuh-bey-siks ]
/ ˈbæk təˈbeɪ sɪks /

adjective

stressing simplicity and adherence to fundamental principles: The movement suggests a back-to-basics approach to living for those whose lives have become complicated.
emphasizing or based upon the teaching of such basic subjects as reading, arithmetic, grammar, or history in a traditional way.

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Words nearby back-to-basics

backsword, backswordman, back talk, back the wrong horse, back to back, back-to-basics, back to the drawing board, back to the salt mines, back to the wall, backtrack, back-trail
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Idioms and Phrases with back-to-basics

back to basics

Back to fundamental principles, as in The plans are much too elaborate; to stay in our budget we have to get back to basics. At first this term was used mainly for schooling that stresses proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics (also see three R's), but it quickly was transferred to other areas. [1970s]

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