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

Examples of except for in a Sentence

except for newscasts, I hardly watch any television at all
Recent Examples on the Web Another ticket sold in Florida matched all five numbers except for the Powerball and added the Power Play for $2 million. Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Mar. 2024 All images, except for the winning logo, were marked by a black square. Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024 All schools in the district except for Kings Mills Elementary and the early childhood center have more students than the classroom capacity, per a study done by Cropper GIS last May. Sue Kiesewetter, The Enquirer, 17 Mar. 2024 Allen would suffer not just a lacerated kidney but a broken collarbone and a torn anterior cruciate ligament to catch more passes over his 11 seasons than every other NFL receiver except for DeAndre Hopkins. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2024 Carter, 43, was found face down on a dead-end street with no clothing except for a pair of socks, Birmingham Detective Finke said, AL.com reported. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50. Kevin Rutherford, Billboard, 14 Mar. 2024 All prizes are set cash amounts, except for the grand prize. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 Every Alabama Supreme Court justice concurred with Mitchell except for Justice Greg Cook. USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'except for.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of except for was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near except for

Cite this Entry

“Except for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/except%20for. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

except for

preposition
: with the exception of : but for
all A's except for a B in Latin
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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