nuts and bolts
Americannoun
plural noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nuts and bolts
First recorded in 1955–60
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.
Chinese nuts and bolts quicker than Usain Bolt.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
Theo Francis covers how U.S. companies work behind the scenes: executive pay, perks, workplace and retirement, accounting, disclosure — the nuts and bolts most people don't see.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
“If you don’t know the ins and outs and nuts and bolts inside City Hall, how are you going to be mayor?” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
It’s even rarer for their exploits to highlight the nuts and bolts of what makes relationships work or fail.
From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2023
I pull out a box of metal brackets, nuts and bolts, drill bits and nails—things that clank together as I set it down.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
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.
