all but

adverb

Definition of all butnext
as in almost
very close to but not completely dinner is all but on the table, so don't go anywhere

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for all but
  1. almost
  2. practically
  3. nearly
  4. about
Adverb
  • Defense lawyer Lawrence Obonyo, who represents Mackenzie and almost all of the others convicted, said he had been instructed to appeal.
    — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • From a dozen seats to 20,000 sign-ups Growth has come almost entirely from social media.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of almost
Adverb
  • Yet the 103-win Milwaukee Brewers and 98-win Tampa Bay Rays were the best teams in their respective leagues practically all season.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, were practically inseparable in their final years.
    — Michael Gioia, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of practically
Adverb
  • SpaceX shares jumped nearly 8% on Wednesday, their best single-session performance since August.
    — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In a Channel 12 survey of first-time Jewish voters, nearly three-quarters identified as right-wing or center-right.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of nearly
Adverb
  • In Lyon, France's third-largest city where about 20,000 protesters joined the march, a fire broke out inside a tourist office.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The incident occurred along the 3700 block of Gardenia Avenue, where police received a call about two shots being fired in a nearby residence, Long Beach Police said in a statement.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of about
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

allays
all but
all clear
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“All but.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/all%20but. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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