reality of the situation

reality of the situation

What is actually happening in or true about a particular situation or scenario. The reality of the situation is that the company will go bankrupt in the next three years if we don't significantly improve our revenue streams. I know you're worried about him, but the reality of the situation is that he's just a toddler going through a bit of a boisterous phase.
See also: of, reality, situation
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

reality of the situation

the truth or actuality of the situation; the way the situation really is. The reality of the situation is that we must act right now. Let's face the reality of the situation and go out and get jobs so we can pay our bills.
See also: of, reality, situation
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • get down to the facts
  • do the business
  • put a good face on (something)
  • best/worst-case scenario
  • if I was/were in your place
  • if I were in your place
  • take (something) by the throat
  • come into play
  • be (not) out of the woods
  • if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen
References in periodicals archive
Indonesian and global unions reject speech given by Indonesian President Yudhoyono at the International Labour Conference on June 14, stating it does not reflect the reality of the situation in Indonesia, and call for comprehensive social security for all.
Farhad Farhadi, personal finance expert at MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, said: "Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that not every parent can afford to put some money by, especially if they have more than one child.."
Also, we are going to make sure to pay special attention to the small and medium businesses, as well as to all economic and statistical parameters reflecting the reality of the situation in the country.
Disparaging oak barrels under a "green" umbrella may feel good, but it ignores the reality of the situation (See "The Art of Oak, Part 2," June 2009).
The simple reality of the situation is that with all the will in the world, there's very little that anyone (other than the rulers of a highly regulated country such as China) can do to restrict population growth.
Changes in the point of view from one friend to the other underscore the message of appearances being different from the reality of the situation. Teens will learn that it's difficult to overcome one's unique set of challenges, but life is about making the best of what you have.
Delpy is echoed in the pic, but what drew him to the project was that it's a comedy "rooted in the reality of the situation. Most comedies you see these days are protracted sketches."
Beautifully rich narrative poems help the reader accept the reality of the situation for Mark and his family.
The reality of the situation is that Arabs in this country and within the queer community are viewed as either terrorists or sex objects.
At long last someone has looked through the quagmire of government spin and found out the reality of the situation. If it was as good a contract as they say, no-one would be leaving - a simple fact which seems to escape ministers.
The use of the word "correction" implies that there has been something askew about the pricing--that it does not accurately reflect the supply and demand situation, or is at least lagging the reality of the situation. As of mid-December, though, the market was not buying into that notion, and pricing remains at lofty levels.
There's a lot of teenagers that watch our show and, hopefully, they'll sit down for a second and think about the reality of the situation. I know of a couple of personal experiences, you know, that I've seen.
This highlighted the reality of the situation and our number one concern, an asymmetric small boat attack.
Most people, including the Bishop, were led to believe things were okay until the reality of the situation emerged.