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
But that’s not exactly correct.
—
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Now, though levees may not exactly be back, royal affectations and the disputes that go with them are.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Her writing is breezy even when the subject matter is not exactly beachy.
—S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Squidward's entire existence is a joke about hating your job, and that's not exactly preschool material.
—Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for not exactly
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Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Now, though levees may not exactly be back, royal affectations and the disputes that go with them are.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Her writing is breezy even when the subject matter is not exactly beachy.
—S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Squidward's entire existence is a joke about hating your job, and that's not exactly preschool material.
—Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 4 Jan. 2026
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 23 Jan. 2026.
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