1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

all but

adverb

Definition of all butnext
as in almost
very close to but not completely dinner is all but on the table, so don't go anywhere

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for all but
  1. almost
  2. practically
  3. nearly
  4. about
Adverb
  • Before the conflict, Qatar exported almost one-fifth of the world’s LNG, all of it through the Strait of Hormuz.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Advisors spend almost 70% of their time on back-office work, and by 2032 agentic AI could give back 25% to 50% of that time.
    — Lital Marom, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of almost
Adverb
  • Their low-profile silhouette and soft quilted uppers pack practically flat without losing their shape, while flexible rubber outsoles provide great grip.
    — Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026
  • But the chances of that conjuring a trade for a starting-caliber star are practically nil.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of practically
Adverb
  • Unfortunately, for nearly two decades, access was limited by the government.
    — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 24 Sep. 2026
  • After 10 loud snores and two that were nearly inaudible, all movement ceased.
    — MICHAEL GRACZYK, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of nearly
Adverb
  • The 2023 rate was about 58%, the third-lowest of any suburban municipality, meaning the city fell $24 million short of target.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The more likely outcome is that his payments will raise our annual national deficit, which is projected to reach $2 trillion by the end of the year, by about 50 percent--and add to the country's $40 trillion national debt.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of about
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.

Browse Nearby Words

allays
all but
all clear
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“All but.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/all%20but. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All