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

That was, surprise, surprise, late on a Friday, right before the weekend—not exactly when a lot of people are paying close attention to announcements. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Steroid use in the ‘80s was not exactly uncommon, and the potential long-term effects of those drugs were still relatively unknown. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2026

Though not exactly a critical darling, this entry in the canon is still a visual feast. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026

Young people are not exactly immiserated; nor have all their jobs been taken over by Claude, at least not yet. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for not exactly

• abstractly