but then
idiom
1
—used to introduce a statement that adds another and different thought to a preceding statement
I'm surprised to hear that Tom has left the army. But then I suppose he never was the type to obey orders.
—sometimes used to introduce an explanation for somethingHis cakes are amazing—but then he did study with some of the best pastry chefs in the world.
2
—used to introduce a statement that tells about something different or surprising that happened next
The team won the first two games, but then failed to win any of the next five.
Examples of but then in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Apple has long been under pressure to revamp Siri, which wowed people when it was released in 2011 but then did not change much over time.
—
Tripp Mickle, New York Times, 9 June 2024
At first, the man allegedly asked to be transported to the Sunland-Tujunga area but then agreed to be transported to the Metro Red Line in North Hollywood, according to the police.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 8 June 2024
Trump did testify for four hours in 2023 in a New York civil fraud case as a witness, but then canceled his decision to testify in his defense.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 7 June 2024
Integrating Joule horizontally will allow a manager to look up an employee’s compensation, which would be found in a HR application; but then, if the next question is about if there’s room in the budget to give this employee a raise, that’s a financial question.
—John Kell, Fortune, 6 June 2024
The company’s shares initially fell on the news but then recovered, climbing as much as 1%.
—Mitchell Ferman, Fortune, 28 May 2024
Excitement built at the start, but then naturally, their first attempts failed.
—Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 28 May 2024
Georgia’s parliament is controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which had campaigned on a pro-EU platform, but then began taking steps to weaken a membership bid, culminating in this bill.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
At times while talking, Hosier is matter-of-fact, but then turns emotional.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 26 May 2024
Tripp Mickle, New York Times, 9 June 2024
At first, the man allegedly asked to be transported to the Sunland-Tujunga area but then agreed to be transported to the Metro Red Line in North Hollywood, according to the police.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 8 June 2024
Trump did testify for four hours in 2023 in a New York civil fraud case as a witness, but then canceled his decision to testify in his defense.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 7 June 2024
Integrating Joule horizontally will allow a manager to look up an employee’s compensation, which would be found in a HR application; but then, if the next question is about if there’s room in the budget to give this employee a raise, that’s a financial question.
—John Kell, Fortune, 6 June 2024
The company’s shares initially fell on the news but then recovered, climbing as much as 1%.
—Mitchell Ferman, Fortune, 28 May 2024
Excitement built at the start, but then naturally, their first attempts failed.
—Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 28 May 2024
Georgia’s parliament is controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which had campaigned on a pro-EU platform, but then began taking steps to weaken a membership bid, culminating in this bill.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
At times while talking, Hosier is matter-of-fact, but then turns emotional.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 26 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'but then.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near but then
Cite this Entry
“But then.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/but%20then. Accessed 14 Jun. 2024.
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