in a nutshell

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

“That’s just Miller in a nutshell, like he’s always trying to help others,” said Pomerantz, one of the many volunteers at Moss’ youth football camp.

From Los Angeles Times

“Nonstop,” Cole said, describing Banana Ball in a nutshell.

From Los Angeles Times

So, in a nutshell, the team has made progress, they have a better driver line-up and you're seeing it in the performance of the car.

From BBC

What are the main revelations in a nutshell?

From BBC

“That, in a nutshell, is the entertainment business.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• brusque 
• concise 
• cryptic 
• curt 
• elliptical 
• incisive 
• laconic 
• pithy 
• precise 
• succinct 
• trenchant