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
Examples of except for in a Sentence
except for newscasts, I hardly watch any television at all
Recent Examples on the Web
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day, except for Dec. 25.
—
USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
And the director, Danya Taymor, pulls it off by gathering all the theatrical tools at her disposal, except for music — a daring choice for a musical.
—Elisabeth Vincentelli, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
Step 3: Get the Cutting Ready First, remove all the leaves except for the top set.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2024
In that area, people will be able to move freely except for the vehicle screenings.
—Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
On all three days, vehicles over 24 feet, trailers and horses are prohibited except for vehicles and trailers with a campground reservation.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The mall reopened by Sunday, except for the Martini Bar where the shootout occurred.
—Rebecca San Juan, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2024
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of excavating your sandals from the depths of your closet at the first signs of spring — well, except for buying a new pair, that is.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
There were very few respiratory illnesses, except for that one fatal case.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 5 Apr. 2024
USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
And the director, Danya Taymor, pulls it off by gathering all the theatrical tools at her disposal, except for music — a daring choice for a musical.
—Elisabeth Vincentelli, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
Step 3: Get the Cutting Ready First, remove all the leaves except for the top set.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2024
In that area, people will be able to move freely except for the vehicle screenings.
—Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
On all three days, vehicles over 24 feet, trailers and horses are prohibited except for vehicles and trailers with a campground reservation.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The mall reopened by Sunday, except for the Martini Bar where the shootout occurred.
—Rebecca San Juan, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2024
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of excavating your sandals from the depths of your closet at the first signs of spring — well, except for buying a new pair, that is.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
There were very few respiratory illnesses, except for that one fatal case.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'except for.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of except for was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near except for
Cite this Entry
“Except for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/except%20for. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
except for
preposition
: with the exception of : but for
all A's except for a B in Latin
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