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

The six-page document did not exactly pulse with fiery rhetoric. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Both are narrated by an autobiographical voice that, while not exactly the same, is similar to the voice of Foam. — Catherine G. Wagley, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

The Maras, for their part, do a fine job as Jean and Joan, though they’re not exactly being asked to give realistic performances here. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026

The Dodgers struck back in the bottom half of the inning — but not exactly with authority. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for not exactly

• abstractly