not exactly

phrase

informal

1

—used in speech as a mild way of saying "no" especially to indicate that what someone has said is not completely correct or true

"He's your boss, isn't he?" "Not exactly."

"Did everything go the way you planned it?" "Not exactly."

2

—used as a humorous or ironic way to say "not"

He's not exactly the smartest guy I've ever met.

Examples of not exactly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Blaze/Ghost Rider did not exactly have a signature villain but did have a coterie of demonic antagonists. — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026

Here's how that shakes out; the results are nuanced, but not exactly shocking. — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026

Ed Rose Mice are not exactly part of the moviegoing experience. — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

But, as a group, America’s cohort of pro sports owners has not exactly been doing a bang-up job of late. — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for not exactly

• abstractly