very thing, the

Idioms and Phrases

Exactly what is needed or wanted, as in That hat's the very thing to complete the costume . This idiom, which uses very to denote exact identity, was first recorded in 1768.

Example Sentences

But the very thing that make phages so promising — their ability to evolve in step with pathogens — has been their undoing at the Food and Drug Administration, at least until recently.

From Salon

For many, it feels like a deep responsibility that stretches high into their family tree, and so the expectation falls upon them to ensure the very thing their forebears did for them they manage to as well – hand it down to their sons and daughters.

From BBC

"Aspects of this legislation risks suffocating the very thing that makes English football so unique, the aspiration that allows clubs to rise and succeed in our pyramid system. The ambition that means fans can dream," she said.

From BBC

It's not lost on the audience that the very thing that caused Tia's death is something Alice has to master.

From Salon

Plastic production was responsible for roughly 5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 — the very thing driving climate change and severe flooding.

From Salon

Related Words

• actually
• categorically
• definitely
• doubtless
• exactly
• positively
• precisely
• really
• surely
• truly
• unconditionally
• unquestionably