nub

There lies the nub of the dilemma for Qatar and the five other Gulf states facing the brunt of the backlash from a war they tried to avert through diplomacy.

From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026

However, a judge ordered the council to re-look at the complaint, saying it had not considered the nub of the matter - whether the fouling constituted a "statutory nuisance".

From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2025

But voices were growing for stronger action, saying the monarch was failing to get at the nub of the problem: in the public’s eye, the disgraced prince continues to live…well, like a prince.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

But the nub of the issue for him is “how” they produce this art, the range of artists they’re inviting in, the openness to new forms and collaborative modalities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2024

I press so hard, I break stick after stick, using each one down to the very nub, so it’s like the blackness is coming out of my finger, out of me, and onto the page.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

So instead of grinding my teeth into nubs, I finally embraced my ref rage and tried to explore its contours.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2024

She would run her fingers along the pointed nubs of the beans — almost like someone would press prayer beads between their fingertips — and stare at the black-eyed Susans coming up in her backyard.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2023

From specks the size of dust grains to nubs as big as raisins, the farm produces about 1,000 pounds of seeds a year.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 18, 2023

Add cubes of cream cheese, nubs of Nutella, a mess of mini-marshmallows — trust your imagination and see what happens.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 25, 2022

I’ve been chewing my nails to nubs all night when Papi finally trots over.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina