not exactly
idiom
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
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The Blazers are also thin in the backcourt, with Scoot Henderson injured and also not exactly locked in as a long-term starter and Damian Lillard out for the season.
—
John Hollinger, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
The same cannot exactly be said for the eight subsequent franchise installments, a motley group of sequels, prequels, reboots, remakes, and legacy sequels that have muddied the continuity.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
Terrorism is not exactly a natural fit for screen comedy.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025
The Avs are going to play two on Sunday, but not exactly in the way Ernie Banks intended.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 19 Sep. 2025
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John Hollinger, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
The same cannot exactly be said for the eight subsequent franchise installments, a motley group of sequels, prequels, reboots, remakes, and legacy sequels that have muddied the continuity.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
Terrorism is not exactly a natural fit for screen comedy.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025
The Avs are going to play two on Sunday, but not exactly in the way Ernie Banks intended.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not exactly
Cite this Entry
“Not exactly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20exactly. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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