in fact or in point of fact

Indeed

the fact of the matter

The plain truth about the subject in question

point¹ /point/

1. A dot
2. A small mark used in Semitic alphabets to indicate a vowel, to differentiate a consonant, or for other purpose
3. A dot separating the integral and fractional parts of a decimal
4. A mark of punctuation
5. That which has position but no magnitude (geometry)
6. A whit (as in no point; Shakespeare)
7. A place or station, considered in relation to position only
8. A place or division in a scale, course, or cycle (as in boiling point, dead point)
9. A moment of time, without duration
10. A precise moment
11. A state
12. A juncture
13. A critical moment
14. The verge
15. A culmination
16. A conclusion
17. Resolution (obsolete)
18. Condition, case, plight (as in in good point; obsolete)
19. Any one of nine fixed positions on a shield (heraldry)
20. The entry, or the first notes, of a subject, eg in a fugue (formerly marked by a dot; obsolete)
21. A short strain or phrase of music, a call on an instrument, esp military, as in a point of war (archaic)
22. A unit in scoring, judging, or measurement
23. A unit used in quoting changes of prices of stocks and securities
24. A percentage of the profits from a venture
25. A feature or character taken into account in judging
26. A distinctive mark or characteristic
27. A unit of measurement of type, approx 1/72 inch
28. One of thirty-two divisions of the compass (points of the compass) or the angle between two successive divisions (1/8 of a right angle)
29. A unit in rationing by coupon
30. (in piquet) the strongest suit held and called, or the score for holding it
31. A particular
32. A heading, clause, or item
33. A position forming a main element in the structure of an argument or discourse
34. A matter in debate, under attention, or to be taken into account
35. That which is relevant
36. That upon which one insists or takes a stand
37. The precise matter
38. The essential matter
39. That without which a story, joke, etc, is meaningless or ineffective
40. A clearly defined aim, object, or reason
41. Use, value
42. A particular imparted as a hint
43. Lace made with a needle (also pointˈ-lace)
44. Loosely, lace
45. A piece of point-lace (obsolete)
46. A sharp end
47. A tip, or free end
48. A thing, part, or mark with a sharp end
49. A piercing weapon or tool
50. An etching needle
51. The sharp end of a sword
52. (in pl) sword-fighting
53. A tine
54. A spike
55. A tapering piece in electrical apparatus, such as the end of a lightning conductor
56. (in pl) the pair of electrical contacts that complete the circuit in the distributor of an internal-combustion engine
57. A cape or headland
58. A horse's or other animal's extremity
59. A tagged lace formerly used for fastening clothes
60. A nib
61. A movable rail by means of which trains are transferred from one track to another
62. A tapering division of a backgammon board
63. A fielder, or a fielding position, on the offside fairly near the batsman on a line with the popping crease (cricket)
64. A defence position (lacrosse)
65. The leading party of an advanced guard
66. A position at the head of a herd or a body of troops
67. A socket for making a connection with electric wiring
68. Pointedness
69. Pungency
70. Sting
71. The act or position of pointing
72. The vertical rising of a hawk, indicating the position of the prey
73. A feat (obsolete)
74. Pointe
75. 1/100 part of a carat

Articulated with the tip of the tongue

1. To insert points in
2. To mark with points
3. To mark off in groups of syllables for singing
4. To sharpen
5. To give point to
6. To prick in or turn over with the point of a spade
7. To show the position or direction of or draw attention to (now usu with out)
8. To place in a certain direction, direct (with at)
9. To indicate
10. To insert white hairs in (a fur)
11. To rake out old mortar from, and insert new mortar in, the joints of
12. To ration by points

1. To have or take a position in a direction (with at, to, toward, etc)
2. To indicate a direction or position by extending a finger, a stick, etc
3. Of dogs, to indicate the position of game by an attitude
4. To hint
5. To aim

pointˈed adjective

1. Having a sharp point
2. Sharp
3. Gothic (architecture)
4. Keen
5. Telling
6. Epigrammatic
7. Precise
8. Explicit
9. Aimed at particular persons
10. (of a remark) having a marked personal application

pointˈedly adverb

pointˈedness noun

pointˈer noun

1. Someone who points, in any sense
2. A rod for pointing to a blackboard, map, screen, etc
3. A symbol, eg an arrow, on a screen, moved by means of a mouse (computing)
4. An index-hand
5. A hint, tip, suggestion, indication
6. A hyperlink (computing)
7. A tool for clearing out old mortar from joints
8. A breed of dogs that point on discovering game
9. A horse ridden in point-to-point races (horse-racing)
10. (in pl) two stars of the Great Bear nearly in a straight line with the Pole Star

pointˈing noun

1. The action of the verb
2. The mortar between joints

pointˈless adjective

pointˈlessly adverb

pointˈlessness noun

pointˈy adjective

Having points, or pointed in shape

point after noun (American football)

A goal kick taken after a touchdown is scored

pointˈ-and-clickˈ adjective

Of or relating to a computer interface in which the user moves a cursor on a screen by manipulating a mouse and clicks on a mouse button to select or activate a program, etc

pointˈ-and-shootˈ adjective

(of a camera) setting focus and exposure automatically

point duty noun

The duty of a policeman stationed at a particular point to regulate traffic

pointed arch noun

A lancet arch

point guard noun (basketball)

A player positioned away from the basket who directs attacking play

pointing device noun (computing)

Any device such as a mouse or trackball used to move a pointer on a screen

pointˈing-stock noun

A thing to be pointed at, a laughing stock

pointˈ-lace noun see n above.

point man noun

1. A soldier at the head of a body of troops or patrol
2. A person who takes the lead (US)

point mutation noun

A genetic mutation converting one allele into another

point of honour see under honour

point of no return noun

That point on a flight from which one can only go on, for lack of fuel to return (also figurative)

point of order noun

A question raised during a formal meeting or debate, eg in Parliament, as to whether proceedings are according to the rules

point of sale noun

(in retailing) the place where a sale is made (abbrev POS)

pointˈ-of-saleˈ adjective

Of, relating to, or occurring at the place where a sale is made

point-of-sale terminal noun

An electronic terminal used at retail outlets (eg supermarket checkouts) which records, and processes esp for stock-control purposes, sales-transaction information (abbrev POS or POST)

point of the compass see n above.

point of view noun

The position from which one looks at anything, literally or figuratively

point set noun (mathematics)

An aggregate

pointsˈman noun

1. Someone on point duty
2. Someone in charge of rail points

point source noun

A source of radiation that is, or is considered as, a mathematical point

pointˈ-to-pointˈ adjective

1. From one fixed point to another
2. Across country

noun

A cross-country race, a steeplechase

point-to-poinˈter noun

A horse ridden in a point-to-point

poinˈty-headˈed adjective (N Am inf)

1. Intellectual
2. Intelligent

at a point, at point or points or at all points (Shakespeare, etc)

1. In readiness
2. Resolved
3. Completely
4. In all respects

at the point of

On the verge of

cardinal point see under cardinal

carry one's point

To gain what one contends for

dead point see under dead

from point to point (obsolete)

From one detail to another

give points to

1. To give odds to
2. To give an advantageous hint on any subject

in point

Apposite

in point of

In the matter of

in point of fact

As a matter of fact

make a point of

To treat as essential, make a special object of

not to put too fine a point on it

To speak bluntly

on the point of

1. Close upon
2. Very near

point for point

Exactly in all particulars

point out

To point to, show, bring someone's attention to

point up

To emphasize

potatoes and point

A feigned Irish dish, potatoes alone, with a herring, etc, to point at

put upon points

To ration by points

score points off someone

1. To advance at the expense of another
2. To outwit, get the better of someone in an argument or repartee

stand upon points

To be punctilious

stretch (or strain) a point

To go further (esp in concession) than strict rule allows

to point (Spenser, Shakespeare)

To the smallest detail

to the point

Apposite

up to a point

Partly, not wholly