the very thing
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.
In a way, that suffering is the very thing that generates literature.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
“So the kind of behavior and cell biology that’s required to integrate the beetle into the nest is the very thing that stops it ever leaving the colony,” Parker said, describing it as a “Catch-22.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026
And that sharpness, what she now jokingly describes as her "professionally inspirational" energy, is the very thing that would later carry her through life.
From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026
Ironically, criticism is the very thing that drives companies to spend more money flying execs around on private jets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
The most likely answer is the very thing that makes the debate possible: Homo sapiens conquered the world thanks above all to its unique language.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
