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
Things did not exactly end amicably, though, as Vrabel went 13-21 over his last couple of years in Tennessee, resulting in his dismissal.
—
Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Life in these places won’t be like life in the company towns of the 19th century, not exactly.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
But that's not exactly how Bode's introduction played out during the special's live taping.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
Sometimes victorious fans are doing it too, and not exactly in the balmiest places.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
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Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Life in these places won’t be like life in the company towns of the 19th century, not exactly.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
But that's not exactly how Bode's introduction played out during the special's live taping.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
Sometimes victorious fans are doing it too, and not exactly in the balmiest places.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 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 18 Nov. 2025.
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