root of the problem

the root of the problem

The underlying cause or fundamental essence of some issue, problem, or difficulty at hand. Our team of professionals will walk you through a troubleshooting process that will help get to the root of whatever problem you're experiencing with your device. Here's the root of the problem, Bill—we feel that you haven't been meeting the standards of work that we expect of you recently. If the politicians in Washington would stop all their games and mudslinging for a minute might actually be able to solve the root of the problems affecting our country.
See also: of, problem, root
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

*root of the problem

an understanding of the causes or basis of a problem. (*Typically: determine ~; figure out ~; find ~; get to ~; get at ~.) It will take a little more study to get to the root of the problem. Let's stop avoiding the issue and get at the root of the problem.
See also: of, problem, root
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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References in periodicals archive ?
'We are going to reach out to his family in order to trace the root of the problem as an investigation is still ongoing.'
dpa Istanbul The Syrian opposition believes defeating terrorism in Syria is impossible if the reign of President Bashar al-Assad is not brought to an end, saying the root of the problem must be fought.
He lamented that the root of the problem are people who recklessly share unverified messages.
It is the President's lack of discernment in appointing an honest and competent leader to head the BOC that is the root of the problem.
Summary: The issue of Lebanon's power supply has for years taken a life of its own, residing among the host of other supposed impossibilities and controversies switched on and off in vain by a population that has yet to glimpse the root of the problem.
Dr Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassim, Chairman of the Centre's board of management said the primary cause of recent refugee flows is political instability, adding that tackling the root of the problem of the 'refugee' crisis is the only way to achieve stability.
He insisted Mr Varadkar's strategy "is not working because it does not tackle the root of the problem - the closure of wards and the reduction of staff by approximately 10,000".
Get to the root of the problem with these three quick fixes Superdrug Colour Fix Instant Root Cover Spray, PS4.99 MAYBE I used too much of this but it left me looking like an ageing Hollywood star who had been at the boot polish.
I had hoped you would get to the root of the problem and so judge whether a federation is the best alternative to a fully united one independent state with no borders and with equal rights for all its citizens thus leaving no exit for partition.
And let me add that his kind of intolerance is at the root of the problem. He is part of the "can't think, won't think" brigade.
The Ibrox kid was struck down by a viral infection at the beginning of the year and feared he may never play again after medical experts struggled to get to the root of the problem.
Speaking at Age UK's annual conference, Mr Hunt is expected to say that "decades-old practices and professional boundaries" are at the root of the problem.
Then-prime minister Winston Churchill issued a direct order to discover what went wrong, and a team of leading aviation experts was assembled - and in the process of getting to the root of the problem, they wrote the rulebook of modern air-crash investigation.