the exception rather than the rule
noun phrase
: not common or usual : not often done, seen, or happening : rare
Friendly customer service seems to be the exception rather than the rule nowadays.
Examples of the exception rather than the rule in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But Suárez sure looks like the exception rather than the rule, and Manaea’s velo has dipped from 93.6 in 2023 to 92.3 in 2024 to 91.7 last year.
—
Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Until now, those of us who have stood out in the arts have been the exception rather than the rule.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
The years when good ice ran several miles out from shore are the exception rather than the rule now.
—David Zeug, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
But in today’s supply chain operations, predictability has become the exception rather than the rule.
—Shekar Natarajan, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
While there are bright spots within the agency with personnel who are talented and dedicated public servants, this is the exception rather than the rule.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Third, surviving a CEO transition would be the exception rather than the rule.
—Timothy J. McClimon, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
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Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Until now, those of us who have stood out in the arts have been the exception rather than the rule.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
The years when good ice ran several miles out from shore are the exception rather than the rule now.
—David Zeug, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
But in today’s supply chain operations, predictability has become the exception rather than the rule.
—Shekar Natarajan, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
While there are bright spots within the agency with personnel who are talented and dedicated public servants, this is the exception rather than the rule.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Third, surviving a CEO transition would be the exception rather than the rule.
—Timothy J. McClimon, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“The exception rather than the rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20exception%20rather%20than%20the%20rule. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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