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

Almost every state imposes sales tax, except for Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon, which instead allows cities to charge a local sales tax. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026

Traffic in and out of the island will be restricted, except for emergencies. —Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026

The bill, which has passed the state Assembly, will permit the government to discriminate in all aspects of K-12 education and some aspects of colleges and universities, except for admissions and enrollment. —Alison Somin, Oc Register, 10 Apr. 2026

On the first shift of the game, Will Smith had the puck on his stick near the Ducks’ net with no one immediately around him except for goalie Lukas Dostal. —Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for except for

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

Kids Definition

except for

preposition

: with the exception of : but for

all A's except for a B in Latin