but what

phrase

: that … not

—used to indicate possibility or uncertainty

I don't know but what I will go.

Examples of but what in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bringing home your very own furbaby is a dream come true, but what might not be included in that dream is the price tag. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Data to the decimal, yes, and there may not be enough of it to draw conclusions, but what data points have been established are factual and viable stepping stones to new knowledge. — Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026

Venezuela’s first round of government-opposition talks has brought cautious optimism to a process intended to produce meaningful political change – but what comes next, and what is not on the formal agenda, is also drawing concern. — Catherine Ellis, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026

That’s because the Labor Department’s figures measure not what consumers pay directly but what pharmacies are paid by insurers and consumers. — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for but what

• abut
• catgut
• chesnut
• chestnut
• donut
• doughnut
• groundnut
• haircut
• hindgut
• midgut
• precut
• rebut