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’s not exactly chump change, considering Atlanta was still licking its wounds after the Great Depression. — Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026

Needless to say, as innocuous as the message might’ve been, this was not exactly normal behavior in the aftermath of such a joyous breakthrough moment. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

Even Beyoncé has gone on the record and revealed that she’s not exactly thrilled by the fact that 14-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter now towers over her. — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2026

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

Rhymes for not exactly

• abstractly