1
a
: the essential or salient point : crux
b
: the primary or most important consideration
2
a
: the line at the bottom of a financial report that shows the net profit or loss
b
: financial considerations (such as cost or profit or loss)
c
: the final result
Examples of bottom-line in a Sentence
Noun
If our flight is late, we will miss our connection. That's the bottom line.
A student with special needs can stress a school's budget, but the bottom line is that the state must provide for the child's education.
How will these changes affect our bottom line?
He's always got his eye on the bottom line.
He says his bottom line is $120,000.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
The company reported fourth-quarter earnings that handily beat Wall Street’s top-line and bottom-line growth forecasts for a ninth consecutive quarter.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
The bottom line, the artist explains, is that the project began as a way to speak up about situations impacting her community — and that urgency has never disappeared.
—Yamlek Mojica, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bottom-line
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Adjective
Top- and bottom-line results beat estimates in the fiscal second quarter , but the big Azure unit didn't do well enough to impress investors.
—Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
The company reported fourth-quarter earnings that handily beat Wall Street’s top-line and bottom-line growth forecasts for a ninth consecutive quarter.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
Rebuilt, of course, through deregulation, with the bottom lines of conglomerates and tech start-ups taking top priority.
—Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
The bottom line, the artist explains, is that the project began as a way to speak up about situations impacting her community — and that urgency has never disappeared.
—Yamlek Mojica, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bottom-line
Cite this Entry
“Bottom-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottom-line. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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