as in almost
very close to but not completely
dinner is all but on the table, so don't go anywhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for all but
Adverb
-
Cuomo’s desperate campaign — almost certainly his last — tried to knit together a coalition of Republicans, independents, and Democrats worried that a socialist mayor would wreck their city and their party.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
5 Nov. 2025 -
Filler shots of chauffeurs, champagne and colossal walk-in closets with pristine designer clobber glistening and gleaming from glass shelves centred around trays and trays of priceless jewels assault the viewer’s senses between almost every scene.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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But the man who caught her eye in the end was practically a stranger.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
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While other Super Tuscans are practically household names among wine collectors, Ca’Marcanda’s flagship blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Camarcanda (without the apostrophe), seems to fly under the radar.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
2 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Vietnam’s Communist Party chief, To Lam, visited North Korea in early October — the first such trip in nearly two decades — while reports suggest Hanoi may pursue the purchase of 40 Russian Su-35 fighter jets.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
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Though the Maldives is the first country to enact such a ban, similar proposals have been debated – and nearly imposed – in other parts of the world.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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The journalists who rushed to the scene managed to jot down the names of about a dozen—the VIPs (there were three members of parliament on the train that day, which was a factor in the disaster) and a couple of servants.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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And despite incorporating the EMALS technology, two former US carrier officers told CNN last month that the Fujian’s air operations may still run at only about 60% the rate of a 50-year-old US Navy carrier due to the configuration of the carrier’s flight deck.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“All but.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/all%20but. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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