but what

phrase

: that … not

—used to indicate possibility or uncertainty

I don't know but what I will go.

Examples of but what in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The question for several speakers was not necessarily whether data centers should exist in Marietta, but what rules should govern them. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

The festival doesn’t need to show only films about war or talk about the war, but what was realized back then is that when times are like that – brutal such as war is – art becomes essential. — Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026

Further details can only be gleamed from the photos, but what’s plain to see is that the shoe shares much of the same shape as the LeBron 23. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2026

Frankie impulsively breaks Taylor out of hospice care for one final night of fun and debauchery, but what promises to be a night of hedonism quickly becomes something much more complicated. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for but what

• abut
• catgut
• chesnut
• chestnut
• donut
• doughnut
• groundnut
• haircut
• hindgut
• midgut
• precut
• rebut