as in ropes
the specific practical details of something
after the usual introductions and requisite pleasantries, we got down to the brass tacks of our business proposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brass tacks
Carefully discuss each function and brainstorm down to brass tacks.
—
Kelly Starman, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Back from holiday after a month away, John Oliver wasted no time in getting down to brass tacks, spending the beginning 10 minutes of Last Week Tonight addressing Donald Trump‘s desperate attempts to redirect national conversation away from the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 27 July 2025
The trade that brought Butler to San Francisco also forced Kerr, his staff, and the Warriors roster to get down to brass tacks.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2025
All this gets caught up in relatively broad and esoteric debates about immigration as a virtue and levels of enforcement, but at brass tacks, this is a practical issue.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brass tacks
Kelly Starman, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Back from holiday after a month away, John Oliver wasted no time in getting down to brass tacks, spending the beginning 10 minutes of Last Week Tonight addressing Donald Trump‘s desperate attempts to redirect national conversation away from the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 27 July 2025
The trade that brought Butler to San Francisco also forced Kerr, his staff, and the Warriors roster to get down to brass tacks.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2025
All this gets caught up in relatively broad and esoteric debates about immigration as a virtue and levels of enforcement, but at brass tacks, this is a practical issue.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brass tacks
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brass tacks
nuts and bolts
Plural Noun
-
But wackiness aside, the nuts and bolts of recruiting go far beyond what antics coaches get up to on the road.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Lewis family do not want to get involved in nuts and bolts every day.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brass tacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brass%20tacks. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
