Definition of after all
1 : in spite of considerations or expectations to the contrary : nevertheless decided to take the train after all didn't rain after all
2 : in view of all circumstances
literature which is after all only a special department of reading— W. W. Watt
Examples of after all in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web Your paint is your car’s first line of defense from the elements, after all.
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Paul Wright, Popular Mechanics, "How to Repair Car Paint Chips," 13 Nov. 2020 The idea behind a cookie tin is, after all, to simply package and transfer delicious cookies to the lucky recipient.
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Patricia S York, Southern Living, "How To Build a Better Holiday Cookie Tin, According to Our Food Editor," 13 Nov. 2020 Imagination, after all, is the mother of possibility.
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Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Who Is Prince Philip's Uncle, Lord Mountbatten?," 13 Nov. 2020 That's just what happens when a person has virtually unlimited access to a hairstylist on Chris Appleton's level, after all.
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Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, "Jennifer Lopez's Blonde Space Buns Are a Low-Key Ode to the Spice Girls," 12 Nov. 2020 Those are, after all, the players the Twins would be most likely to need on short notice to compensate for injuries, rainouts, trades, etc.
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Michael Rand, Star Tribune, "A Twins minor league affiliate in St. Paul would be a big win for fans," 11 Nov. 2020 Because the problem, after all, is not with Hannah Horvath or Dave Burd.
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Emma Pattee, Marie Claire, "Sorry, But Loving Dave Burd and Hating Hannah Horvath Is Highly Problematic," 10 Nov. 2020 Trumpism, after all, is a narrative of death and resurrection, in which bankruptcy becomes The Art of the Comeback and American carnage becomes American renaissance.
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Fintan O’toole, The New York Review of Books, "Democracy’s Afterlife," 10 Nov. 2020 Museums, after all, are theatrical spaces for historical narratives and their ongoing revisions.
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Los Angeles Times, "Review: Extreme alienation reigns in the Hammer Museum’s (unopened) biennial," 10 Nov. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'after all.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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The first known use of after all was in 1590
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