except for

preposition

1

: with the exception of

Everyone was gone except for me.

2

: were it not for

except for you I would be dead

Synonyms of except for

• except
• beside
• besides
• other than
• but

Examples of except for in a Sentence

except for newscasts, I hardly watch any television at all

Recent Examples on the Web

And many who had never seen the inside of a house of worship except for weddings and funerals. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 13 July 2026

Some other mammals can be right-footed or left-pawed, but there’s no statistical imbalance toward left or right across the species, except for our extreme 10-90 split. — Quanta Magazine, 13 July 2026

For 2026-27 the Cadets will play on the junior varsity level in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference — except for basketball. — Dave Oberhelman, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026

To an extent, Ship's descent profile is not very unlike the space shuttles, except for its actual touchdown, which differs significantly. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for except for

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore
• heretofore

Kids Definition

except for

preposition

: with the exception of : but for

all A's except for a B in Latin