anything but

idiom

: not at all
He looked anything but happy.
Though he said he was happy, he looked anything but.
This problem is anything but new.

Examples of anything but in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s market remains anything but quiet. Daniel Cassady For Artnews, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2025 Though railguns are simple devices, turning the technology into a practical weapon is anything but. New Atlas, 23 Apr. 2025 While many of the street-side cafes lining the river are on the touristy side, the handful of spots actually on the quay are anything but. Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2025 But the transition into the $300 billion conglomerate has been anything but smooth. Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anything but

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anything but.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anything%20but. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!