How to Use the real thing in a Sentence

the real thing

noun
Definition of the real thingnext
  • And the real thing is the best thing in the world to me.
    — Heather Newman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
  • The best early Prime Day deals might just beat the real thing.
    — Jake Smith, Glamour, 6 Oct. 2023
  • And the caramel swirl clearly showcased in the ads stood out just as much in the real thing.
    — Abby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Sep. 2023
  • The faux leather looks and feels like the real thing and hasn’t so much as scuffed on the New York City sidewalks.
    — Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 5 June 2024
  • Ahead, find the best Dyson Airwrap dupes that are pretty close to the real thing.
    — Samantha Olson, seventeen.com, 1 June 2023
  • Each pair is printed and packaged to look like the real thing.
    — L.a. Times Food Staff, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023
  • But pan back just a bit from the action on the field, and things feel more like a dress rehearsal than the real thing.
    — Ina Fried, Axios, 26 July 2024
  • Some of these, like craft fur, are designed to mimic the real thing.
    — Cameron Evans, Outdoor Life, 17 Oct. 2024
  • Those too, though this time the skirts, like the slick suits for both men and women, were in faux patent leather croc rather than the real thing.
    — Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023
  • But the real thing would be much more brutal and gritty.
    — James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 June 2024
  • For the orb that sits on the top, Gard had to drill dozens of holes to set in the tiny glass pieces that would mimic the diamonds of the real thing.
    — Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 23 Sep. 2023
  • There’s not a trace of the ersatz substance in this brilliant play, which is worth its weight in the real thing.
    — Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024
  • And one pricey brand is taking the trend head on by offering the real thing.
    — Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 6 May 2023
  • Racing games are all very well, but there’s nothing like the real thing.
    — Angus MacKenzie, Robb Report, 7 Dec. 2023
  • Known as organoids, these 3D blobs have some of the same cells and structures as the organs they’re meant to mimic but are still far from the real thing.
    — Emily Mullin, WIRED, 8 Sep. 2023
  • Stacked up against a human, these machines might be easy to confuse with the real thing.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2023
  • This sounds like the real thing, cows strolling leisurely in the suburbs, or as it might be described with a touch of slang: no bull.
    — Martin Weil, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2023
  • After his raucous ascent on the back of a huge hit, will country fans stay for the real thing?
    — August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024
  • In the end, voters never took to Trump Lite, preferring the real thing.
    — David Jackson, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2024
  • But people who have toured the house with Martin are able to look through windows shaped like clouds or windswept pines, and see the real thing.
    — Jeastman, oregonlive, 17 Mar. 2023
  • But our dream bodies are only loose sketches of the real thing.
    — Krista Stevens, Longreads, 12 Sep. 2024
  • There are a few tattoo booths — not airbrush tattoos, the real thing.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2023
  • The vegan leather won't break in quite like the real thing, but the memory foam footbeds help keep your feet comfy.
    — Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2023
  • In an age of baseball video games can pass for the real thing and fantasy leagues keep score in real time, the group is a throwback.
    — Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2024
  • The gold buckle on top of the Bison Spirit mule is impossible to tell apart from the real thing.
    — Kristine Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2023
  • Looks like Bravo got the dramatic re-creation rather than the real thing.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2024
  • Metal siding that is designed to replicate the look of wood siding lacks the character and warmth of the real thing.
    — Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2024
  • Lee fell on her first skill on uneven bars during warmups, leaving spectators on the edges of their seats for the real thing.
    — NBC News, 30 July 2024
  • Dozens of brands offer dupes of Pottery Barn’s best-sellers, but nothing compares to the real thing.
    — Maggie Horton, People.com, 14 Oct. 2024
  • Last season, she was shamed for wearing designer fakes, and this season, she’s being shamed for buying the real thing.
    — Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the real thing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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