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Definitions

bottom line

NOUN
center or central factor
Synonyms
STRONGEST
core crux essence income profit reality
WEAK
basis conclusion determination fiber final decision fundamentals key point last word loss main idea main point main thing meat and potatoes name of the game net nitty-gritty nuts and bolts point sum and substance what it's all about whole story
ADJECTIVE
of key importance
Synonyms
STRONGEST
cardinal critical crucial essential fundamental important indispensable
STRONG
necessary underlying vital

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.

The industry has spent billions in recent years building green-friendly vessels, but the IMO plan will hurt their bottom line.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

"Tehran is open to discussing how other nations can benefit from Iran's new framework for the strait, but control is the bottom line."

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

The bottom line is a bit tougher: CoreWeave hasn’t posted a quarterly profit as a public company and isn’t expected to do so until the end of 2027.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

The bottom line: If you’ve ever been tempted to sell in May, this is your best chance to sidestep a mediocre market — or worse.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Doesn’t matter—it’s all down to protocol in the end, and the bottom line is that I shouldn’t have taken that plane to France in the first place.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein