Synonyms

nuts and bolts

American

noun

the essential or basic aspects.

to learn the nuts and bolts of a new job.

nuts and bolts British

plural noun

informal the essential or practical details

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

nuts-and-bolts adjective

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.

After research in the BMW archives to figure out what needed to be done, I replaced all the nuts and bolts with factory-looking originals.

From The Wall Street Journal

All part of the nuts and bolts at a leading Premier League club in 2025.

From BBC

If he is hiding any nuts and bolts under those blonde locks of his, Haaland did prove he was still human by missing a couple of chances to complete his hat-trick.

From BBC

It will take longer to thrash out the nuts and bolts that would need to underpin a complex agreement.

From BBC

Though financial therapy is increasing in popularity, it doesn’t necessarily get down to the nuts and bolts of your finances.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023