except for

preposition

1

: with the exception of

Everyone was gone except for me.

2

: were it not for

except for you I would be dead

Synonyms of except for

• except
• beside
• besides
• other than
• but

Examples of except for in a Sentence

except for newscasts, I hardly watch any television at all

Recent Examples on the Web

Sounds great, except for the whole 2D aspect, right? —Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 10 May 2026

Maddy's smokey eye - Season 3, Episode 2 In season 3 of Euphoria, more muted glam is the order of business — except for Maddy, of course. —Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026

The current tensions began to appear around the start of the year, when the Kremlin banned or restricted most messaging apps, except for one that had been developed by the state. —Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 8 May 2026

After the rogue’s gallery is introduced early on, nearly everyone except for Tim, Elliot, and Rebecca fades into the background, although delightfully, Emma Thompson nails her brief comedic role as a brusque solicitor handling George’s last will and testament. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 8 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for except for

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore
• heretofore

Kids Definition

except for

preposition

: with the exception of : but for

all A's except for a B in Latin