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
Sometimes victorious fans are doing it too, and not exactly in the balmiest places.
—
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Hippler said that's not exactly how the law works.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
His face, while not exactly handsome, nevertheless has a certain charisma to it, a monkey-like instinct for comedy.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies are not exactly seeing eye-to-eye, with the point guard openly speaking out against his coaches and then suffering some consequences for vocalizing that.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
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Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Hippler said that's not exactly how the law works.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
His face, while not exactly handsome, nevertheless has a certain charisma to it, a monkey-like instinct for comedy.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies are not exactly seeing eye-to-eye, with the point guard openly speaking out against his coaches and then suffering some consequences for vocalizing that.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 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 9 Nov. 2025.
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