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

Only members have the right to attend open board meetings under the Open Meeting Act, but what about the owner’s tenants, non-owner spouses, attorneys, children or service providers? — Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026

What’s most revealing isn’t any one mechanic, but what the game appears designed to normalize. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 7 July 2026

Little remains of the Nennig complex beyond a mosaic floor—but what a floor! — Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026

That is not new, but what may be new today is the way that employees need or look for emotional support at work, especially in the face of anxieties about AI, economic uncertainty, and social and political polarization. — Holly Corbett, Forbes.com, 1 July 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