nutshell
Americannoun
idioms
noun
-
the shell around the kernel of a nut
-
in essence; briefly
Etymology
Origin of nutshell
Explanation
The hard, protective covering of a nut is called a nutshell. If you hear someone say "in a nutshell," they are most likely summing something up in a few words. It's more common to refer to a nutshell as simply a shell. Most people use the word nutshell figuratively. When you say, "in a nutshell," you mean "to sum it up," or "to condense a large amount of information into one short sentence." For example you might say, "In a nutshell, The Odyssey is the story of a guy who went on a long boat trip."
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.
Dimon, in a nutshell, told him to stop lying on TV, according to people familiar with the conversation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
“In a nutshell we believe Microsoft is set to have a massive 2026 and the stock is a compelling buy at these levels,” the Wedbush team wrote.
From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025
To sum up their misfortune in a nutshell, Bradley was taken off at half-time after a knock for Isak.
From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025
"In a nutshell, it's a comedy about two quite ridiculous young men and the double lives they lead," Alexander explained.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2025
Another philosophy vied with the atomic theory, and instead of posing such bizarre concepts as the infinite vacuum, it turned the universe into a cozy nutshell.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
