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Examples of but for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To people without the condition, the sound of pages being turned in a book or the humming of a refrigerator may go unnoticed, but for people who suffer from hyperacusis, these same sounds seem intolerably loud.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2024
Terrell was fighting not for herself but for the future.
—CBS News, 6 June 2024
At the core of all of these ideas is a rebrand, not necessarily for the company but for the art of opera itself.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 6 June 2024
Those symptoms might be no big deal for someone living in a house, but for someone on the street, could be catastrophic, said Dr. Shayan Rab, a street psychiatrist with Los Angeles County’s Homeless Outreach and Mobile Engagement team.
—Cal Matters, The Mercury News, 5 June 2024
This is excellent news for kitesurfers coming to Tulum for the ideal weather — but for beachgoers, this can sometimes mean strong gusts and choppy water.
—Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2024
And, the Spreckels company ran, not just Coronado, but for a long time, ran San Diego.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2024
The jury, headed up by Barbie director Greta Gerwig, will announce the best of the fest at the closing ceremony, but for many attendees the most glamorous event of the year has already ended.
—Carita Rizzo, Peoplemag, 25 May 2024
The latter is an architect who believes that change is not only inevitable, but beneficial — for him, of course, but for society at large.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'but 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
12th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of but for was
in the 12th century
Dictionary Entries Near but for
Cite this Entry
“But for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/but%20for. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
Legal Definition
but-for
adjective
: of or relating to the necessary cause (as a negligent act) without which a particular result (as damage) would not have occurred
a but-for test of causation
compare substantial factor
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