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to its core

to its core

4 5.6
In a way that changes someone or something very deeply and completely
  • idiom
translation icon : hasta su núcleo
  • The sudden loss of a beloved leader has affected the team to its core.
  • shaken to its core
  • rocked to its core
  • stripped to its core

Unfortunately, in the wake of this week, that view of mine that I have held for my entire adult life has been shaken to its core.

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Examples

  • I think America will yet be shaken to its core even more than the Civil War did.

    Blog text (29)
  • Nobody imagined that evening would be the backdrop to a series of events that would shake this community to its core.

  • Over the last two hours, it seems our entire city has been shaken to its core.

  • But the war has shaken Israel to its core.

    Academic text (2006)
  • When the Penn State story broke, this nation was rocked to its core.

    Blog text (12)
  • Kelleher argues that the Libor scandal is proof that the financial industry "is corrupt and rotten to its core."

    Blog text (28)
  • America would be shaken to its core, and American agriculture could retake its rightful place as a centerpiece of health.

    Blog text (12)
  • Even so, the peasant revolt had shaken the Bolshevik regime to its core, and you would soon think of a new economic policy for the countryside.

  • The unexpected news about the disaster has touched everyone in the community to its core.

  • The documentary explored themes that resonated with viewers to its core.

Synonyms

essentially
vsto its core
745 3.4

Mostly in the main or basic sense

is stronger and shows deep affecting change rather than mere summary
fundamentally
vsto its core
181 3.9

In a basic way that shows what is most important

is deeper and implies being profoundly changed rather than stating basic truth
elementally
vsto its core
1 5.5

In a basic and essential way

is deeper and implies being profoundly changed rather than mere core description

Antonyms

14 5.3

In a way that only looks at the surface and not deeply

2 4.6

In a way that is near the surface or without deep thought

How Deep

to its core
4 5.6
deeply
590 1.8
partly
375 1.0
superficially
14 5.3

Surface Forms

to its core positive

Morphology

to + its + core

The phrase literally points to the 'core' (central/essential part) and the prepositional phrase 'to its core' naturally extends that to mean affecting something down to its central part — i.e. deeply or completely. This compositional, metaphorical extension is common across languages and follows usual English patterns of extent, so a B1 learner who knows the words 'its' and 'core' would very likely infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

The expression to its core comes from the image of reaching the center of something, like cutting an apple until you reach the core. So when something affects a person or place to its core, it means it changes them 'deeply'.