in all/everything but name

idiom

: not in an official way but in every other way
Military governors ruled the country in all but name for many years.
Their marriage was over in all but name five years ago.

Examples of in all/everything but name in a Sentence

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The Europeans and Ukraine are maximalist in their interpretation: The United States has agreed that Ukraine is a NATO member in all but name and will back up the European troops stationed on Ukrainian soil if Putin resumes the war. Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025 Those who call for abolishing ICE or halting deportations rarely grapple with what that would actually mean: open borders in all but name. Robert W Hood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 July 2025 But with iPadOS 26 installed, today’s iPads are doing macOS cosplay, becoming touchscreen Macs in all but name. Craig Grannell, Wired News, 16 Aug. 2025 Using empty chairs as stand-ins, Bono unwraps his U2 mates Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton and his brother in all but name, the Edge. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for in all/everything but name

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Cite this Entry

“In all/everything but name.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20all%2Feverything%20but%20name. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

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