at bottom

phrase

: really, basically
It is, at bottom, a love song.

Examples of at bottom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Wind shear also can describe when winds up at the top of the storm blow in different directions than at bottom or middle. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 Book a charter with Newport Tradewinds to try your hand at bottom fishing (or salmon, tuna, or halibut, if the season is right). — Sierra Vandervort, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026 As critics such as Antonio Candido have remarked, regionalism was at bottom an attempt to render Latin American reality in its dominant rural guise. — Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of at bottom was in 1668

Rhymes for at bottom

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Browse Nearby Words

at best
at bottom
ATC
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Cite this Entry

“At bottom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20bottom. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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