anything but

idiom

: not at all
He looked anything but happy.
Though he said he was happy, he looked anything but.
This problem is anything but new.

Examples of anything but in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But in recent years, the current has been behaving in anything but the usual way, and the Extension, in particular, made a major divergence along Japan’s coast. Chris Mooney, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025 Alexander said what started as a routine morning became anything but after Dugan was told by her clerk that ICE was in the hallway outside her courtroom. John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 15 Dec. 2025 For better or for worse, Christopher Nissen’s life is anything but ordinary. Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025 For starters, Bevacqua’s pedigree—from the USGA to CAA Sports to NBC Sports—suggests his words were anything but accidental. Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 13 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anything but

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“Anything but.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anything%20but. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

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