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.

But the bottom line is that not everything is ludicrously expensive when it comes to travel this summer.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

Rising uranium prices flow straight to the bottom line.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

The bottom line is the stock price and the top line is implied volatility.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

High beef prices have also been hurting Shake Shack’s bottom line.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

The bottom line: There’s no such thing as perfection in gymnastics.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles