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
Recent Examples on the Web
Great, but not exactly zero, which is why there is also a focus on carbon removals, which is also where the Science Based Targets are increasingly going.
—
Mattias Goldmann, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The Padres did not exactly get to the Reds bullpen as much as the Reds bullpen was given to them on Monday night.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
This one might not exactly be for you.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 9 Sep. 2025
The Seattle Seahawks did not exactly get off on the right foot in the Sam Darnold era on Sunday, losing to the San Francisco 49ers in an anemic season opener.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not exactly
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Mattias Goldmann, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The Padres did not exactly get to the Reds bullpen as much as the Reds bullpen was given to them on Monday night.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
This one might not exactly be for you.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 9 Sep. 2025
The Seattle Seahawks did not exactly get off on the right foot in the Sam Darnold era on Sunday, losing to the San Francisco 49ers in an anemic season opener.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 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 12 Sep. 2025.
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